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Newsletter | Nov/Dec 1973

Volume 1:6
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If you would like to see corrections to this newsletter or to submit articles or suggestions for future newsletters please contact the Newsletter Editor.

In this issue:
NOVEMBER - Bobbie Sue Hood Editor (Mui Ho Publisher)
Meeting Location - Janet Crane's house
Employment - Lucia Bogatay
Work as Study - Susan Henke
Map to December Meeting - Corinne Moor Spingarn
Agenda for December 17, 1973 - Lucia Bogatay (Publisher Mui Ho)
First Letter to the Editor - Editor Lucia Bogatay
Design Competition - Mary Laleyan
Course on Women & Architecture - Gwen Wright, Lian Hurst, Sara Jaffee
Julia Morgan Lecture - Wendy Bertrand


NOVEMBER

by Bobbie Sue Hood Editor (Mui Ho Publisher)    |    Share #608


Meeting Location

by Janet Crane's house    |    Share #673


Agenda for November 19, 1973 meeting

by Cathy Simon    |    Share #674

6:30
Social hour with buffet supper
$ .50 for wine
$1.00 for wine and supper

7:30
Appointment or election of a student representative for the College of Envlronmental Design at the University of California at Berkeley. The student rep may become a member of the new steering committee to be elected in January.


The Building of Gund Hall--a film documentary of the actual construction of a contemporary landmark. George Gund Hall is the home of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. It was designed by alumnus John Andrews of Toronto, who became widely known in the 1960's for his megastructure near that city, Scarborough College.

The film was made for the Graduate School of Design by Len Gittleman who teaches at the Visual Arts Center at Harvard and produces educational films. Using time-lapse photography, he has condensed construction days from 24 hours to 12 seconds so that the building will miraculously unfold before your very eyes. The action follows the entire process of construction at dazzling speed, with pauses only to show the agonized trip of a truck carrying one of the huge trusses through Cambridge in the dead of night, or an equally laborious event --a conference to resolve a difficult detail between the Architect, the Contractor. the Sub, and the Engineer.

Lucia Bogatay, sponsor of the film and is also an alumna of the Graduate School of Design, she feels that the OWA will enjoy this "curious film about a curious building".

Vote on Articles of Incorporation. The proposed articles are included in this newsletter, along with an article explaining their evolution and importance.

Miscellaneous announcements.
Cathy Simon will preside over the meeting.


Summary of October 15 Meeting

  Share #675

About thirty women attended the regular monthly meeting of the OWA at Mui Ho's house in Berkeley.

Anne King, formerly of Soule Steele and now with Kaplan and McLaughlin architects in San Francisco, gave an informal lecture on curtain wall technology. She illustrated her remarks with a full-scale mock-up of a curtain wall, or at least a part there of. During the ensuing discussion, she said that contrary to her initial expectations she had found her technical experience at Soule of great value. We concur.

Yung-Ling-Chen, 123 Taurus Street, Oakland 94611, telephone 547-3649, volunteered to become our next librarian for licensing examination materials. She will collect and loan materials to be copied and then returned. The OWA plans to build up a permanent collection of useful references and already has build up the collection. Those of us who took the exam last year are grateful to Danica Truchlikova who initiated this service.

Cathy Simon announced the discovery of a rare gem: a construction dictionary which reportedly contains definitions of all those obscure words once common to the vocabularies of itinerant carpenters and turn-of-the-century draftsmen which arise every now and then to haunt even the most modern practitioner and which never seem to be located in such usually reliable sources as Webster's Third International. This handy volume prepared by, we think, the Women in Construction of Phoenix, Arizona, should be invaluable for those taking the Equivalency Examinations. Great interest was expressed by many present. The OWA will attempt to purchase the book in bulk to provide a savings for its members.

Lia Margulies, the elusive recipient of our highest accolade thus far, an adjustable triangle, received the trophy from Mui Ho as a prize for designing the winning letterhead in the OWA graphics contest. Our congratulations to Lia who now may be said to know all the angles.

Christy Coffin reported that she is investigating the possibility of working with girls in grammar school to help them form images of potential careers in architecture while they are still young enough to sign up for mechanical drawing instead of home ec. Others wishing to expand woman's concept of her potentialities at this age level should contact Coffin at 526-2013.

What to do with the exhibit which the 014A prepared for the AIA convention last May remains a problem - especially for Pat Schilling in whose carport it languishes. Sylvia Reay will check the possibilities of storing or exhibiting the photographic panels in the University of California's Department of Architecture. Bring your ideas for the exhibit to our next meeting.

Due to the expected absence of many persons during the holidays, OWA steering comnittee elections will be held in January of 1974. Be thinking of candidates for jobs which require a minimum of 3 working days each month for even minimal service.

Our thanks to Corinne Moor Spingarn who, under conscription to write the meeting notes, responded most graciously and thoroughly.


Steering committee members with phone numbers

  Share #677

PUBLICITY
Bobble Sue Hood 771-7770
Ann King. alternate 771-2681

EDUCATION
Mary Laleyan 392-3398
Susan Henke, alternate 398-5191

EMPLOYMENT
Lucia Bogatay 863-8253
Ilana Rosenfeld, alternate 548-4124

MONEY
Rosie Muller 549-1940
Wendy Bertrand, alternate 526-5397

INFORMATION
Mui Ho 541-4438
Cathy Simon. alternate 626-2641

(ARCHIVIST for Newsletter from original to Web
Wendy Bertrand January 2012)


Julia Morgan Threatened

  Share #676

Hearst Castle, Asilomar, the Oakland Y, St. John's Presbyterian Church, and the Fairmont Hotel. What do they have in common?
The answer, of course, is their common architect, Julia Morgan, the first woman to graduate from France's Ecole des Beaux Arts and an important architect in the Bay Area during what some historians call the period of its "First Style".

One of the above monuments not only of architecture but also of woman's role in architecture is currently on the-market. St. John's Church in Berkeley has decided to sell its 1908 building to move to new quarters down the street. The building and the circumstances of sale are explained by Sally Woodbridge, a local architectural historian, in an article in Architectural Forum, September 1973, p.18.

If less is more, and least is most, then St. John's is the best example of Morgan's work. The church is elegant in its simplicity, handling of material, and lack of subsequent adulteration. The address is 2640 College Avenue at Derby Street, only a few blocks south of the University of California campus. It is open to the public when not in use by the church.

Mr. Daniel Herb, President of the Board of Trustees of St. John's, explained by telephone that the church is trying to insure that the new owner will preserve the architectural integrity of the building.

Negotiations for the property are still under way. The American Society of Eastern Arts wants to purchase it for a cultural center, a reasonable use considering its proximity to the campus.

Mrs. Woodbridge reports that local historians are trying to preserve the building, but that there is still some concern for its future.
Possibly of value will be an architectural easement which would be included in the building's sale and which would be administered by the City of Berkeley. The easement, according to Mr. Herb. would require review of any alteration to the exterior of the building by the City for a period of 15 years. The efficacy of this solution is being questioned because many historians and architects feel that the church's greatest charm lies in its interior and because of the short duration of control.
In reply. fir. Herb says that the Society of Eastern Arts plans to leave the sanctuary intact except for a new stage to be built in place of the present pulpit.

While some alteration must be expected if the building is to assume a new role, its strengths are subtle ones and liable to compromise. Great care should be taken to insure that its induring qualities are not lost, according to conservationists. It seems sad to all who share these convictions that no legal controls will govern the future of the interior. It seems doubly sad to women because there are few examples of architecture by their sex from the past. It seems thrice sad to women architects in San Francisco, who have had such an example just across the Bay.

Still, at least one ex-Berkeley resident found room for optimism. She felt that there was something oddly apt about a structure so redolent of the austere strength of early Christianity becoming, with its symbolism. a backdrop for Asian art. At least no one will be able to deny that this Julia Morgan is timely.


Employment

by Lucia Bogatay    |    Share #678

As regards employment, I am happy to report that things are not as bad as I thought. I had already prepared a discouraged but guardedly optimistic and constructive message to comfort the weary jobseekers, when I received reports that there really are lots of openings. This sometimes is a bad time of year to look for a job because of impending holidays and the end of the fiscal year, but at least to date this has not been the case. Isabel got work at Goetz Hollenbeck and Goetz, and actually turned down two offers in the meantime. I will not list the jobs that are available through the AIA bullet-in board since-they are-likely to change at any moment. However, the following offices are rumoured to be thinking of hiring in the near future:

1. Natkin and Weber, 27 Sutter Street S.F.
2. Sandy & Babcock, 1827 Union St. S.F.
3. Escherick Homsey Dodge & Davis, 120 Green Street S.F. (actually they a re considerinq and
pondering their choices at the moment)
4. Backen Arrigoni & Ross, 300 Broadway S.F.

Finally, there is one actual opening:
5. Rai Okamoto, Pier 1 S.F.
I am not sure the exact nature of this position, due to
pressure of deadline...

So I will wish you luck and head for Mexico with a clear conscience!


From the East: Design Critic job opening at Cornell

  Share #679

Cornell University: Department of Architecture seeks for Fall 1974 a visiting and/or full-time architectural design critic. We will also accept applications in architectural technology, structures and landscape design. Teaching experience desirable but not required. Applications from women encouraged.
For further details write: Appointments Committee,
143 East Sibley Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850.


Work as Study

by Susan Henke    |    Share #680

Nancy Shaw ( 408/429-2469), Assistant Professor of Community Studies, Extended University at U of Calif. Santa Cruz, Calif,95064, has sent us Information about a half-time studies program leading up to a Bachelor of Arts degree for Individuals currently employed In a community agency. The emphasis of the program is field work beneficial to the community. I can very easily see architectural community Issues applied to this excellent program.

For more Info: contact Susan Henke, education or write directly to Nancy Shaw.


Publish or Persih OWA Newsletters

by Mui Ho    |    Share #681

In the exigencies of the birth of the OWA during the past year, the newsletter has necessarily been a harried affair, thrown together through Herculean efforts of a few members of the steering committee, spearheaded by Mui Ho.

This situation is being changed to relieve undue burdens upon too few people. Concurrently, it is timely to consider the wide and largely untapped potentialities of our publication.
Where are the book reviews, editorial comments, and reports of recent work of our members? Where are the graphic meanderings of those who deal in physical form? Where are the comix?

This is one of our best communication tools for learring more about each other and about our professional interests. We hope to use it more in the coming months.

We plan to approach persons with special abilities and interests to write articles for publication sufficiently far in advance to allow for adequate preparation. This includes typing the material in a space 4 and 1/4 inches between margins -- with no typos.

When we tap you on the shoulder, please smile. After all your exposure in our press will be an accolade as well as an obligation.
Mui Ho will continue to be responsible for printing and distribution, and also for keeping the mailing list up to date. Refer new names and addresses and subscription orders to her.

The collecting, writing, and rewriting of material will be done by a different editor each month. The editor of the month will be announced in advance, but you can reach her through Mui if you miss the announcement.
Lucia Bogatay, vacationing in Yucatan and unable to refuse. will field the next issue's editor.


November Calendar

  Share #682

THROUGH 4TH
1973 GRAND NATIONAL SHOW; Rodeo, Horse Show Livestock Exhibition. MONDAY-FRIDAY 8pm.

SATURDAY 2pm & 8pm. SUNDAY 2pm & 7pm. $2 to $6 CALL 334-4852

1 THURSDAY 7:45pm The Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage presents a slide lecture on "WILLIS POLK: THE EARLY WORK 1885-1900" by Richard Longstreth. (Architectural Associate, Department of Architecture, U.C. Berkeley) 3333 California St. San Francisco. Call 956-3595

1 THROUGH 4 THURSDAY-SUNDAY 9am California Council, AIA (CCAIA) 28TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE. Theme "HABITABILITY"
Del Monte Hyatt House, Monterey, Calif. $85-$5 for students.
CALL Lou Emhardt, 986-0759

2,3,4 FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY
THE 1ST ANNUAL HARVEST FESTIVAL & COUNTRY CRAFTS MARKET. Brooks Hall, Civic Center, San Francisco. FRIDAY Noon-10pm.
SATURDAY SUNDAY 10am-10pm. $1.50

8 THURSDAY 7:45pm The Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage presents a slide lecture on "ERNEST COXHEAD," by John Beach (currently preparing an exhibition & catalog on Coxhead scheduled to open at UCSB Art Gallery, April 1974. 3333 California St. San Francisco. CALL 956-3595

9 THROUGH 11 FRIDAY-SUNDAY
Mills College is sponsoring a national conference "BEYOND SEXISM, EDUCATING WOMEN FOR THE FUTURE." CALL Conference Facilitator, (415) 632-2700 Ext. 249.

10 SATURDAY
9:30am-4:30pm Women's Organization for Employment presents "NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP," a conference for working women on job discrimination. First Unitarian Church, Franklin & Geary,
San Francisco. $2.50.

12 MONDAY ( 2ND MONDAY OF THE MONTH) 7:30pm Organization of Architectural & Engineering Employees meeting. First Unitarian Church, Franklin & Geary, S.F. CALL 397-7235.

13 TUESDAY
5:30pm AIA ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING. 254 Sutter St. S.F.
7:00pm National Organization for Women (NOW) meeting. First Unitarian Church, Franklin & Geary, San Francisco. CALL 398-6312

14 WEDNESDAY (2ND WEDNESDAY OF-THE MONTH)
7:45pm Bay Area Women Planners meeting.
Topic "ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: THE OAKLAND REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND OTHER ADVENTURES IN INVESTMENT" by Jerri Romm. 139 Stonewall Road, Berkeley, CALL Elizabeth Robbins 841-3646

THROUGH 9 DECEMBER
"ART BY WOMEN FROM THE MUSEUM COLLECTION OF GEORGE J. SCHLENKER" University Art Museum, Bancroft Way, Berkeley.

15 THURSDAY
9:15am SPUR'S 12TH ANNUAL PLANNING CONFERENCE, "REGIONALISM, Our Best Protectection Against Federalism?" St. Francis Hotel, San Francisco.

7:45 pm The Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage'presents "WILLIS POLK: THE LATER WORK 1900-1924" by Richard Longstreth. 3333 California St. S.F.

19 MONDAY (3RD MONDAY OF THE MONTH) 6:30pm Organization of Women Architects meeting.

29 THURSDAY 7:45pm The Foundation for San Francisco's
Architectural Heritage 3333 California St. presents "BERNARD MAYBECK" by Kenneth Cardwell (Associate Professor of Architecture, UC Berkeley.) CALL.956-3595


Ratifying the Articles of Incorporation

  Share #683

As those attending will recall, the OWA's entire September meeting was devoted to discussing proposed Articles of Incorporation. After the meeting, the steering committee met with a legal representative to hammer out a revised version representing as much as possible the dictates of the group as expressed at the meeting. This version follows for your review.

Sheila Cronan of the Womens' Legal Center in Berkeley served without pay in aiding the OWA. The steering committee was unanimous in endorsing the revised version.

Due to both legal form and content, several points in the new version are different from or in addition to those proposed in September. The steering committee has worked for extended periods to resolve any possible debate about either the intention or the content of the Articles. However, members may still find many points which they wish to question.

The steering committee urges those persons having questions to call one of the members of the committee who were present at the evolution of the attached proposal (Wendy Bertrand, Lucia Bogatay, Susan Henke, Mui Ho, Bobbie Sue Hood, Ann King, Rosie Muller, and Cathy Simon). Rosie Muller, who worked closely with Sheila Cronan,is the authoritative source. The steering committee hopes to answer questions and assuage doubts before the next general meeting on Monday, November 19. All members who cannot attend the November meeting may vote by proxy by contacting Rosie Muller,, 2831 Garber Street, Berkeley. California 94705, Phone 849-1940.

There are many advantages to being a non-profit corporation, one of which is the ability to obtain grants from other non-profit corporations. Such benefits will measurably increase the scope of the OWA. If members will attend to the proposed Articles in this newsletter in advance, then they should be able to ratify this important document expediently at the next meeting.

A copy of the Articles of Incorporation is here.


DECEMBER

  Share #609


Map to December Meeting

by Corinne Moor Spingarn    |    Share #694

5200 Lawton Avenue, Oakland, at the end of the block on the corner

If you can offer rides to Oakland, or if you need a ride, call Lia Margulies 567-2500.


Agenda for December 17, 1973

by Lucia Bogatay (Publisher Mui Ho)    |    Share #695

6-30
Social hour with buffet supper
$.50 for wine
$1.00 for supper

7:30
1. Discussion of sections of bylaws pertaining to dues and elections by Rosie Muller.
2. Evaluation of ows first year, Everyone is encouraged to write letters of evaluation to the editor of the newsletter.
3. Miscellaneous announcements
4. Slide show:
SWEDISH SHOPPING CENTERS & RUSSIAN CHURCHES by Vera Jansone. Soleri's ARCOSANTI by Lucy Lichtblau.



Steering Committee

  Share #698

PUBLICITY
Bobble Sue Hood 771-7770
Ann King. alternate 771-2681

EDUCATION
Mary Laleyan 392-3398
Susan Henke, alternate 398-5191

EMPLOYMENT
Lucia Bogatay 863-8253
Ilana Rosenfeld, alternate 548-4124

MONEY
Rosie Muller 549-1940
Wendy Bertrand, alternate 526-5397

INFORMATION
Mui Ho 541-4438
Cathy Simon. alternate 626-2641

(ARCHIVIST for Newsletter from original to Web
Wendy Bertrand January 2012)


First Letter to the Editor

by Editor Lucia Bogatay    |    Share #696

Dear O.W.A.

Since I cannot attend the next meeting, I would like to make some random remarks in response to the November Newletter:

LIBRARY. Is the Library to be kept at Ms Chen's home? Do we go there to borrow material? where will you keep the permanent collection? Are you interested in back issues of architectural magazines in good condition? Some articles, especially on building types, will be of value for some time to come. What else do you want? I might have something I can donate.

November Calendar: is it possible to include events for the first week of the following month? I ususally get my copy the 8th day or so of the month, which means that the first week's events have al ready transpired.

Thanks to Sheila Cronan, Lawyer.

Sincerely, Emily Tomaskovic

Thanks for our first letter to the editor. I hope it will inspire more communication of this type. These and other questions we will try to answer at the next meeting.

Note: Next months editor is Susan Henke, Please submit all art work, articles, book reivews and letters to her by Jan 1, 1974


Job listings as of December 6.

by Lucia Bogatay    |    Share #697

There are two offerings
1.
Frank Laulainen & Associates 354-4910
103 Church Street, Los Gatos, California

Wants a designer, pat Noda reports, since a designer just quit. He doesn*t advertise, so send a resume.

2.
Mackinlay, Winnacker and McNiel
5238 Claremont Avenue, Oakland, California

Wants a designer for job in Guam - office does major buildings, hotels, schools, housing - lots of work


Summary of November 19th Meeting

  Share #699

One of our most successful meetings was held at Janet Crane's house on Telegraph Hill. An excellent dinner was prepared by Janet Craneand Dolores Malloy, and due to effective graphics and a large attendance the caters broke even. During dinner Janet put on a carousel of of Mayan ruins and modern British Architecture, both well photographed and absorbing.

Lucia Bogatay sponsored an interesting construction to documentary on Gund Hall. new headquarters for the Harvard Graduate School of Design. The film was of great educational value, and especially enjoyable because of the filmmaker Gittleman's flair for humour.

Yung-Ling Chen, our new Librarian, made an appeal for contributions of Licensing materials. She did not mention that she was moving to a more central location in Berkeley, but we understand that this is so. By next meeting, we hope to know her new address.

Judith Edelman member of the Subcommittee on Women and other Minorities of the AIA asked us to appoint a member of our group to be an area representative and to help gather data for a national survey. Janet Crane volunteered and was confirmed.

The OWA voted to buy an AIA salary guide.
Mary Laleyan suggested we also buy a NCCAIA Bulletin of Salaries.
A copy of the Architectural Registration Handbook was passed around, and we voted to acquire one for the OWA library.

Jane Duncombe has had a church published in a recent Architectural Record.
Anyone wishing to suggest a person for the new chairman of the School of Environmental Design at U.C. Berkeley is invited to contact Sarah Jaffe. She is a member of the selection committee.

Members were interested to hear about a precident set by law students challenging the low percentage of passing the bar exam. However, further research reveals that their success was, the result of pressure applied to a legislative committee and not a precident that OWA can easily follow. Perhaps we should consult our laywer.

The last, but momentous act of the OWA was to approve the articles of incorporation. Rosie Muller presented them in final form, and her labor and patience were rewarded by unanimous confirmation. Now, on to the By-Laws!


Many thanks to Sally Nettleton who faithfully recorded the events of this meeting. typed them and left for Minneapolis. We are sorry to see her go, but she wants to keep receiving this newspaper, and promises to keep in touch.


AIA Task Force on Women

by Janet Crane    |    Share #700

AIA TASK FORCE ON WOMEN

At the beginning of November, the OWA received a letter from Judith Edelman chairwoman of the AIA taskforce "the SubCommittee on Women and other Minorities in Architecture".( The aim of this taskforce is "the implementation of an affirmative action program to implement the Equal Opportunity Section of the 'Manual of Personnel Practice', AIA", although Ms Edelman has permission to limit its scope to women since the AIA has a whole department devoted to racial minorities.

The letter continues "I need your help! Most important, I.need your ideas, suggestions and support. I need a sub-committee member from your.area and I hope that you as a group will select this person as soon as possible; it is not required that this person be a member of the AIA. To quote again, this is the brief statement of intent submitted to the board: "A sub-committee to be chaired by Ms Judith Edelman AIA is being formed and an "action program" is being developed. Chairwoman Edelman hopes to broaden the cope of her Committee's work to encomass far more on the subject than just equal opportunity for employment of women in architecture. Her program includes analysis of the survey being conducted by the AIA to identify women in the profession, obtaining as much information as possible on relative salaries and job opportunities for women, and gathering individual case histories reflecting discrimination and bias. She plans to organize a nation-wide group of women architects who will contribute to the study. She also plans to work with other groups such as the Alliance of Women in Architecture in New York, the WALAP in Boston and OWA in San Francisco. Finally, the information thus gathered will be used to formulate policies and recommendations for presentation to the Board and Membership."

During the last OWA meeting, I volunteered to call Ms Edelman in New York, courtesy of the AIA, and did so in late November. She asked us to help her distribute the questionnaire mentioned in her letter, and which she hoped would be published in the mid-December issue of the AIA "Memo" ' a national publication, copies of which appear here at the beginning of January. This survey will be similar to one that was conducted by the New York State AIA.

The survey form is addressed to both men nd women and includes questions on age, qualifications, past and present employment and salaries. The results of the New York survey are published under the title "Women in the profession" and gave statistical comparisons o,f this data for men and women. Needless to say, the results show clear inequalities in pay and responsibility even though the professional qualifications of the sample were evenly matched with regard to education and experience.

Ms Edelman would like the AIA's national survey to have a wider base of respondents than would be reached by normal AIA channels so she has asked the MA to mail us extra copies of the survey for us to distribute to non-AIA members of both sexes. She also hopes to distribute another survey at a later date directed only to women asking for fuller descriptions of "Job status, personal experiences, and perceptions of discrimination."

In a second specific request, Ms Edelman asked for suggestions on how to present all the information that her task force will collect. The idea of yet another report is not appealing and this is a challenging problem that should be discussed at our next meeting. Ms Edelman hopes to be visiting the Bay area in January and hopes to be able to meet-with us.


Design Competition

by Mary Laleyan    |    Share #701

The National Institute of Architectural Education with the support of the Hospitals and Heath Committee of the New York Chapterof the AIA has issued an Architectural Design competition for a "Neighborhood Heath Care Center."

The competition, called the Hirons Prize, offers $1,500 first prize and $500 second Prize, and is open to all persons in the architectural field under 35 years of age by January 1 1974 and who are not enrolled in a full time architectural academic program. The competiton may be done between November and April 1. 1974 and will be judged in May, 1974.
All persons interested may obtain a copy of the program from: Byron Bell, Chairman Committee of Scholarships and Awards, National Institute of Architectural Education, 20 West 40th Street, New York, New York, 10018


Building for Women Artists in Chicago

  Share #702

Last spring, the OWA surveyed other women's groups in an effort to provide news of thern in the paper which we published for the AIA convention in San Francisco. We were impressed by the work of a group of women at California Institute for the Arts in Valencia and have since followed some of their efforts in the press. In a recent issue on California. the English architectural magazine AD published a newsletter by the group (copies of which were handed out at our booth in Kay).
More recently, members of the group - Sheila de Bretteville in particular - have begun the enterprise described in this article.


December-January-February Calendars

  Share #704

DECEMBER
6 THURSDAY

7:30 "AN INTIMATE REVIEW." based upon the works of 5 humorists: Dorthy Parker, 'James Thurber, E.B. White, Robert Benchley, & Samuel Roffenstain. Read by "3's Company," Kitty Newman. Sheila Stephenson & Barry Meehan. A look at the relations between men & women, then & now. San Francisco Jewish Center, 3200 California St., S.F. $1.2S.

7:45pm
JULIA MORGAN - a slide lecture presonted by the Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage.

10 MONDAY (2ND MONDAY OF MONTH)
7-30pm Organization of Architectural Engineering employees meeting. First Unitarian Church, Franklin & Geary, S.F. CALL 397-7235.

11 TUESDAY (2ND TUESDAY OF MONTH)
7pm National Organization for Women (NOW) meeting. First Unitarian Church,Franklin & Geary. S.F. CALL 398-6312

12 WEDNESDAY (2ND WEDNESDAY OF MONTH")
7:45pm bay Area Women Planners meating. Topics Environmental impact Statements: Can planning offices survive this new tool?, Bow is the additional information being used. At the Chome of Dora Hoard, 1606 Trestle Glen Rd., Oakland, 444-4558. CALL Maria Humphrey 525
757-3333 ext 24 office.

17 MONDAY (3RD MONDAY OF MONTH)
6:30pM Organization of Womien Architects meeting. See elsewhere in this newsletter for place.

JANUARY
14-15 MONDAY-TUESDAY
"HOW THE ARCHITECT & ENGINEER CAN PROFIT AS A BUILDER-DEVELOPER," a conference presented by Architectural Record & co-sponsored by Management Concepts International, Inc.
Held at Hyatt Regency Hotel, San Francisco. Fees $3.40.
CALL TOLL ngs 900-223-5681

25-26 FRIDAY-SATURDAY
9:30am "PLANNING FOR THE PAST. A CONFERENCE ON HISTORICAL PRESERVATION" sponsored by the University Extension center. SS Laguna Street, San Francisco. Lectures $5O; workshops $501both $100. Box lunch included. CALL carol Thompson or Judy Diehl at 861-6833.

FEBRUARY
11 MONDAY
6pm & 10 pm BOB DYLAN CONCERT at the Oakland Coliseum.$6.50, $7.50, & $8.50. Limit of 4 tickets per person. Tickets by mail order
only, to Box Lunch. Coliseum Box office. Oakland
Alameda County Coliseum, Nimitz Freeway 4 9090 Hegenbeger Road Oakland 94621


Course on Women & Architecture

by Gwen Wright, Lian Hurst, Sara Jaffee    |    Share #705

The women architecture students at Berkeley have organized a seminar on women and archIteature for the winter quarter. This will be an opportunity for shared work, for exploring professional options and personal needs, and for doing Individual research projects. Some of the proposed subjects are historical studies of women architects and builders, the environment an an expression of various societies' attitudes toward different roles for women (such as mothers, professionals, children, sex objects, housevivesw old ladies, patients, nurses , consumers), a survey of practicing architects concerning employment opportunities and the lack of them, women as important user groups for all kinds of environments (homes, hospitals, schools, communities), and the politics of feminism In design. The presentatlons will be open and there will also be Informal lunchtime discussions with women professionals about their work and special Interests. If you are interested in coming &/or speaking, please call Lian Hurst 841-8827, Sara Jaffee 834-3104, Victoria Kaunitz 548-2060, or Gwen Wright 548-6572.


Students Join OWA!

  Share #706

(This does read like a landslide headline.) With last month's meeting a large contingent of Berkeley students has begun coming to OWA meetings. Wurster Women, while there In a student group also forming, I feel that this exchange to a chance to meet women who are practicing to learn some of what they are teaching each other, and to exchange encouragement. The Newsletter will print any announcements or articles concerning student Interests; refer your Ideas to the student OWA Representstive, who will be elected In January at Wurster. All students are welcome at meetIngs anyone needing a ride just leave a note on the 2nd floor women's bulletin board. And, oh yes, we have bargained for a student membership fee of $5/year.


Construction Dictionary

  Share #707

In December Cathy Simon is going to place an order for the Construction Dictionary, published by the Greater Phoenix, Arizona Chapter #98 of the National Association of Women in Construction. As previously announced, the price of the valuable resource book is $15.00 (tax deductible). Because the proceeds from the book's sales are used for "educational and scholarship efforts," quantity discounts are unavailable. By ordering as a group in lots of at least ten, however, we do save considerable postage and handling.

If you are interested in buying the Construction Dictionary, please bring to the December meeting a check for $15.00 made payable to the National Association of Women in Construction. These will be collected, sent out and hopefully the books will be here by our January meeting.
For all those who eventually want a Construction Dictionary but want to wait a while, the books are available for $15.00 plus $.50 for handling from: Greater Phoenix, Arizona Chapter #98
Rational Association of Women in Construction
P.O. Box 6142
Phoenix, Arizona ' 85005
Below is a sample from the Construction Dictionary:


Julia Morgan Lecture

by Wendy Bertrand    |    Share #708

Many people know Julia Morgan was a great Architect, yet few can tell you why.
Richard Longstreth, Associate in Architectural History at the University of California, Berkeley explained the WHY during his lecture Nov 28, 1973 on the Berkeley campus. Well armed with excellent slides, Longstreth opened with the above thought, he then introduced his lecture by promising to demonstrate that the public images of Morgan's work being typical of Hearst Castle or the brown shingle residences
were myths.

Longstreth presented confidently that Morgan's contribution during her period, 1890's to 1940's was much broader in scope and not at all limited to the above myths. With an amazing number of examples he proceeded to prove that she had a distinquishable ability to deal with a variety of commissions. She would produce equally well, a large country home, a low budget church, YWCAs, which she did many along the coast, or modest residences on small subdivided lots. Longstreth strengthened his thesis by comparing her ability to take pride in and master any commission; small or large, rich or poor. brown shingle or eclectic with some of her contemporaries.
After seeing lots of Julia Morgan's work, the myths surrounding her dissolve. Longstreth explained that although she worked with Hearst for 15 years on the Hearst Castle, her influence there was one of order and logistics rather than total design responsibility. Hearst himself was really the commanding force behind this unbelievable combination of collected items. One of the slides showed her original design of the Hearst Castle, which was very unlike the present extravaganza. Richard Longstreth stressed qualities her works share with the works of other great Architects: her sense of order, her exceptional care with details, her respect for materials and her ability to design and produce well even the most modest of Commissions. She was known to constantly. consult with contractors she worked with, about her design details and for estimating purposes. She was known to follow every project in her office from beginning to end and was known to supervise many buildings during construction for her own work, as well as for others for-, example the Hearst Mining Building on the Berkeley Campus, by Gailland Howard.

As an historian, Longstreth looks at Morgan within her period. He pointed out that this period of American Architecturehas not been well documented and he feels it is a significant period becasue of the variety of styles well executed by single architects, including Julia Morgan who made her life Architecture. Although she detested publicity, and therefore did not publish . we can depend on historians, and others such as Doris Cole who will include Julia Morgan in her book to be published soon by i pressto dig up the Information about her and speak out to dissolve the myths and ignorance that surround her and about other women in Architecture.


Steering Committee Roles Defined

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STREERING COMMITTEE MEMBER IN CHARGE OF EMPLOYMENT AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Lucia Bogatay, Wendy Bertrand and Illana Rosenfeld

1. Encourage all members to help their fellow women find jobs by keeping you informed.
2. Keep up the notebook recording names of available people and jobs and coordinate openings with job seekers.
3. Be avaiiable to talk with women looking for direction or employment advice.
4. Keep newsletter up to date as to employment and affirmitive action activities.
5. Represent the OWA at WOE meetings.
6. Represent the OWA on the ESCMT Board of Directors.
7. There are many other activities that might also be guided by these people such as special task forces, valuable statistics, gathering information of interest to the group etc.



STREERING COMMITTEE MEMBER IN CHARGE OF NEWSLETTERS
Mui Ho and Cathy Simon

We publish the Newsletter. Although the actual editorship of the Newsletter rotates among each of the members and alternates of our Steering Committee, we are in charge of its monthly printing and distribution at least two weeks prior to the next meeting. In addition we have assembled and maintain the minutes of each OWA meeting, the archives of past Newsletters, and an up-to-date directory of our members and subscribers. We are currently in the process of compiling a flexible directory which can accommodate everybody's comings and goings.

We are very concerned that our newsletter be informative about our group's activities and related Interests, containing a range of articles as broad, for example, as historical pieces about women architects and compilations of current legislation dealing with women's rights. We. have encouraged (with limited success) contributions by anyone who has something to say. In the future we hope that the Newsletter becomes a real communication instrument for all the members of OWA.

This Newsletter was archived from original by Wendy Bertrand, Feb 2012

STEERING COMMITTEE IN CHARGE OF EDUCATION
Susan Henke and Mary Laleyan

The raison d'etre of OWA's Education division will hopefully always be open to interpration. For clarity, it may be thought of as two-pronged - that is, as educating ourselves and as educating others in the community at large.
In the first category, our most successful project has been helping each other prepare for licensing exams - now the responsibility of Yung-Ling Chen. Also, Mary Laleyan has been arranging a seminar of several lectures in specifications,professional administration, construction supervision, etc. We are also planning an annotated bibliography of construction details and several field trips to construction sites.

In the second category informing the community, we are planning to work with high school counselors to enlighten them and their students as to the pros and cons of the architectural profession. We also plan joint meetings and/or field trips with related groups such as the Women in Construction. And there has been talk of a project. perhaps done jointly with an AIA task force, to formulate a program for educating young children on environmental issues in general.

Unfortunately, this fall our efforts on many of these projects did not progress far beyond the planning stages, due partly to the lack of volunteers and partly, I suspect, to the overly grandiose project visions. For the future, I would recommend simplifying or scaling down the projects, in recognition of our individual time and energy limitations.


STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER IN CHARGE OF FINANCES AND LEAGAL AFFAIRS
Rosie Muller

My major accomplishments this year have been to establish a free checking account, to set up the books in such a way as to make accounting easy, to keep track of our finances, and to work with our legal advisor in establishing Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. The financial part of the job has taken only about one hour a month. The legal duties have taken more time, but I feel that the personal experience I have gained has made the time well spent. The major legal duties of my successor for 1974 will be to complete the bylaws and incorporation proceedings. Our first income tax report will not have to be filed until 1975. 1 will not have time to continue on the Steering Committee next year, but I will be available to assist the now treasurer if she requests.

PUBLICITY AND LIASON WITH OTHER GROUPS: A REHASH
Bobbie Sue Hood

During the past nine months, activities have been wide ranging. In general. it has been a period of making contacts rather than striking achievements.

I have contacted all known women-in-architecture groups in the US, which sounds impressive but actually includes only three: LA, HY, and Boston, the last of which has never responded and is reported to have demissed. In Hay, we met women involved nationally in the AIA's resolution on women (Anna Halpin) and the student AIA president (Faye d'Avignon). and internationally in the Organization des Femmes Architectes (Jean Young from Seattle, and what an effort it must be in French to eliminate sexist words... ). Janet Crane of the OWA is currently working with Judith Edelman of NY who has been appointed by the AIA to organize a committee to study the role of women in the profession, as advocated in the proposal sponsored by Anna Halpin in May. Thus. we seem to have come full circle.

At the same time, we have contacted), women in related fields such as engineering and construction. The newspaper which we published in flay included news of these groups as well as other women-in-architecture and was intended for national distribution, which in fact it enjoyed to a limited extent.

I believe that one of the most valuable purposes of the publicity committee member would be to publish articles of groups around the country, thereby establishing contact among them. However, the emphasis should be on their accomplishments rather than merely their existence. It is not enough after all just to be female ... one should do something. too.

OWA publicity seems to have been at least moderately successful, and we can be fairly assured of finding the means to publicize any of our activities. We are in touch with both the AIA and the OAE and yet comfortably independent of them. I receive perhaps three or four letters and calls a month asking for aid or information about our group. I believe that there are many women who are interested in the design fields whom we have not-been able to-reach. The reason is a lack of implementation rather than a dirth of ideas.

There is a curious problem in being a member of the steering committee. The practical problems of arranging the meetings. publishing the newsletter, answering the inquiries, and so forth, somehow occupy so much of one's time that little remains for advancing one's favorite causes in the OWA. One of mine has been a movie to show in a subtle manner women in professional roles and to put to rest the myth of the onedimensional career women. This movie would be suitable for public TV. high schools, and colleges and perhaps even your local AIA. Hopefully we can someday find the right project to film and the time in which to do so.

In short. there remains a lot to do, but we have begun.


Letter from Illinois Architect Mrs. Whitman

by (via Mary Lelayan)    |    Share #710

LETTER FROM ILLINOIS ARCHITECT

About a month ago Mary Laleyan received a letter from Mrs.Bertha Yerex Whitman, architect from Evanston, Illinois.

Who is Bertha Yerex Whitman?
Mrs.Whitman was born in 1892.She married Lloyd Whitman in 1921 and has a daughter and a son. In 1920 she received a bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan. She believes she is the first women to receive a degree from the school of Architecture after it became separate from Engineering. She holds a State of Illinois License since 1926.She worked for many years for the State of Illinois, but continually carried on her private practice.She has traveled in many parts of the world Europe, South Africa, South America and in 1965 she went on an 18 month trip around the world "in no hurry".At 81, she still practices architecture and is also writing a series of books about her round the world trip.

In addition to the letter, Mrs.Whitman sent Mary Laleyan prints and originals of some of her projects, copies of articles about her from the Chicago Tribune - one dated 1932 and the other 1973, her resume and the resumes of two other women - Juliet Alice Peddle (born 1899) and Catherine Bortic Heller (born 1886).All the material will be available at our next meeting for those who would like to look through it.

Here is Mrs.Whitmant's letter:
OWA San Prancisco,Cal.
Dear Miss Laleyan; My cousin in San Francisco sent the article about OWA of May 13 to me. I like you - am very jealous of the place of women in architecture.Since I am a very early one, I thought you might like some history of us in this area,so I am enclosing some information and an article about me in the March 4-73 Chicago Sunday Tribune. I am also sending under separate cover a couple of my plans (do not return), but they are not too representative of my work.One thing you must remember is that although I have always had or private practice I was forced by circumstances to take outside work of many klnds, but mostly architectural to support my two children. Even in the 30's and 40's I was designing houses in the $345,000 range, about the highest was $3,100,000 in the 50's.I have also designed apartment houses and various types of warehouses. After the article in the newspaper I designed a large house for a family of ten.It will later be turned into a dude ranch in northwest Montana. The rooms are very large,the kitchen 144 x 192.1t has nine bedrooms and five and a half baths.I have worked in Fla.,Geo.,Tenn.,Mich., Wis.,besides Illinois.I am giving a larger more typical selection to the Chicago Art Institute for their historical file.I designed a booth in the Hall of Science for the World Fair in 1932 for professional women and exhibition plans and photographs of a house
I did here on the North Shore.

During the late 20's and 30's and 40's we had a very active womens architectural club. At the time of the World Fair we wrote all over the world for information - the English woman architectwho won the competition for the Memorial Theater at Stratford was a honorary member.Very few really had licenses so we took in draftsmen, interior decorators,
landscape architects etc. Some time around 1950 or so the Chicago Chapter of AIA talked the women into becoming a branch of the club where they detiriorated into shadows as you said in your article - -
"wives of architects".I never went then.

If you will check the licensed architects in Illinois now there are only about 35 and half of these are not in the state. The other 12 or so are practicing but four of these are the old ones like me. I have always meant to visit some of you and although I am in California (Menlo Park) a lot I have never made the time, but now I hope I shall.
If you care to acknowledge this I would like it very much.

Very Sincerely yours

Bertha Yerex Whitman
2656 Lincolnwood Drive Evanston, Illinois 60201




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