Viewing page 1 of 2

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Los Angeles, CA
(Los Angeles Co.)
Central News Wave
(Cir. W. 210,000

OCT 8 1986
Allen's P.C.B Est 1888

--------------------------

Local Architect Forms Partnership
2725
By CYNTHIA E. GRIFFIN
     Staff Writer
     When Norma Sklarek was growing up in the 1940s, there were some rather conflicting expectations placed on women. 
     On one hand society expected women to stay home, take care of the house and be a "traditional" wife and mother.

Marketable profession
At the same time there were women like Norma, who were taught that nobody was going to take care of them. Therefore they would need to have a marketable profession which could support them.

"I always knew I was going to have a profession, but the standard ones didn't appeal to me," said Sklarek. "My father said what about architecture."

Columbia University
Sklarek remembers she  

[[Picture of woman]]
Norma Sklarek

knew nothing about the field but agreed that it might be a good choice. She applied to the Columbia University School of Architecture and was accepted.

She graduated in 1950, successfully passed the licensing examination and by 1954 had become the nation's first black female registered architect.

Her career includes more than 17 years as director of architecture for Los Angeles-based Gruen Associates. There she supervised the Pacific Design Center and U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

LAX terminal
Sklarek also worked five years as a vice president with Santa Monica-based Welton-Becket Associates where she was responsible for projects like Terminal I at Los Angeles International Airport. This facility houses the PSA and Air-Cal operations.

In 1984, after working more than 30 years for such large firms, Sklarek decided to strike out on her own.

"I thought it was time for a change and I wanted to try something different. It seemed like an exciting thing to do," she said of her move.

Partnership formed
Sklarek went into partner-
(Continued on Page 3-B)
     

Transcription Notes:
Needs review.