Description
All About Julia Morgan offers up information to early readers on one of the great women in architecture. Julia Morgan was born into a world that doubted the ability of women, but her mother and grandmother taught her not to listen. Not only did she graduate college as the only woman in her class getting a degree in civil engineering, she went on to attend Beaux-Arts in Paris. As the best architecture school in the world, many were surprised when she passed the entrance exams, and even more so when she finished the five-year program in three years!
After becoming the first woman to receive and architecture license in California, she opened her own business and was quickly singled out by William Hearst, who admired her imaginative style and unique projects. With his funding, she built Hearst Castle, one of the most famous buildings in California. It was her largest and most complex project, but by no means her last. She went on to build and advocate for the YWCA and Mills College, Asilomar, which both worked to advance women’s opportunities.
About the Author
Phyllis Perry grew up in the foothills of northern California and attended the University of California at Berkeley. She writes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for both adults and young readers. After having taught school for a number of years, she wrote a series of mysteries to help students increase their library skills while having fun reading. Now living in Colorado, Phyllis and her husband often visit Rocky Mountain National Park.
Interior illustrator Kirsten Halvorsen is a young artist with an art degree from William and Mary’s College. She enjoys teaching children about inspiring people throughout history through being an interior illustrator for the All About series.
Cover art by Nicole Santiago McCormick. In every All About portrait, cover artist Nicole aims to connect readers with notable people throughout history.
Famous building by Julia Morgan include: Asilomar Conference Center, Berkeley City Club, Chapel of the Chimes,,El Campanil, Mills College, Fairmont Hotel, Harbor Bay YWCA, Hearst Castle at San Simeon, Hollywood Studio Club YWCA, James Pierce Mansion, Julia Morgan House, Kapiolani Cottage, Mills College, La Hacienda del Pozo de Verona, Los Angeles Examiner Building, Margaret Carnegie Library, Mills College, Merchants Exchange Building interior, Mills College Student Union, Ming Quong Home for Chinese Girls, Mills College (renamed Alderwood Hall, now Julia Morgan School for Girls), North Star House, Pasadena YWCA, Riverside YWCA (now Riverside Art Museum), San Francisco YWCA (now home to the Chinese Historical Society of America), St. John’s Presbyterian Church (now Berkeley Playhouse), The Hacienda (Milpitas Ranchhouse), Wyntoon, YWCA Hostess House (now MacArthur Park Restaurant)
