Celebrating 100 Years of John S. Chase
This January marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of John S. Chase, one of the first Black graduate students to enroll at The University of Texas at Austin, the first African American to graduate from the School of Architecture, and the first Black licensed architect in Texas—who went on to attain many other noteworthy accomplishments. Celebrating 100 Years of John S. Chase, an exhibition organized by Assistant Professor Tara A. Dudley, Ph.D., highlights Chase’s life and enduring legacy.
Join us for the exhibition and related events:
January 23, 2025, 4 p.m.
Exhibition and Birthday Reception
Goldsmith Hall, North and South Lobbies
Celebrate Chase’s centennial birthday and the exhibition opening. Enjoy cupcakes and refreshments with students, faculty, staff, and alumni, with remarks from Dr. Dudley.
January 23–February 28, 2025
GOL (North and South Lobbies), SUT (Ground Floor), WMB (Fifth Floor)
Learn about Chase’s biography and professional contributions—as well as those of the school’s other first Black students—through interpretive texts, timelines, and photographs. Also on display is the drafting table that Chase used in his home office in Houston’s Third Ward, offering a firsthand glimpse into his experience as an architect. This exhibition is organized by Dr. Dudley with support from the Center for American Architecture and Design and the McDermott Excellence Fund.
February 28, 2025, noon–1 p.m.
Dean's Conference Room (GOL 2.302B)
Join the Center for American of Architecture and Design for a CAAD Forum with Dr. Dudley, discussing her research on Chase and his lasting impact across the broader field of architectural practice.
Tara A. Dudley, Ph.D., teaches interior design history and architectural history at the School of Architecture. Her scholarship examines the contributions of African American builders and architects to the American built environment, focusing on the antebellum and Reconstruction eras in the US South. Her book Building Antebellum New Orleans: Free People of Color and Their Influence has been recognized with awards from the Association of American Publishers and the Society of Architectural Historians. She is writing a biography of John S. Chase, under contract with the University of Texas Press.
Image: John Chase sits in a classroom on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin, 1950. By Texas Student Media, UT Texas Student Publications Photographs, The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.
