Born Chloethiel Blanche Woodard in Illinois, she defied her mother’s wish and went to study Architecture, a passion inspired at the age of 12 while witnessing the construction of her family’s home. She first graduated with high honors from the University of Oregon, and later with a Masters Degree from the Washington University. Her love affair with the capital of the USA started when she came to work for the Federal Housing Administration and later moved to the private sector, growing as managing partner. In 1963, Woodard Smith was the first woman to found and manage her own architectural firm. After five decades of an extensive career, which won her recognition, awards and a seat in influential committees and boards, she retired at the age of 73. Most notable are her ideas of community-building and her contribution to the urban planning of the national capital, which included large scale residential projects, highways, office buildings, and schools. She also provoked criticism when her work on the Southwest Urban Renewal project resulted in removals of low-income black communities. Her work can also be found in the urban fabric of Boston, St. Louis, and Asuncion, capital of Paraguay, where she designed the US embassy. Woodard Smith’s access to major governmental contracts was attributed to her professionalism, her experience working with Federal Housing and her diplomat husband’s position in the White House. Celebrated as the first woman to enjoy a national reputation in mid-century US architecture field, she strongly objected to a gender-related world view. She rejected the Women’s Liberation Movement, dismissed the importance of marches, despised the term “woman architect” and refused to join women’s architectural society. She believed that people are judged by what they know and do, regardless of social categories. She died from cancer just before her 83 birthday, mother of two and grandmother of three. Read more...