Résumé

Principal, Benjamin F. McAdoo, Jr., Architect, Seattle, WA, 1947-1961, 1964-1981; from at least 1953 until 1960, McAdoo had an office at 1718 Olive Way in Seattle. (See Seattle City Directory, 1960, p. 1075.)

McAdoo's firm continued after his death as McAdoo, Malcolm and Youel, Architects, Seattle, WA. By 1960, McAdoo had developed a strong interest in public housing. He worked as an administrator for the United States Agency on International Development (AID) on the island of Jamaica in 1961-1962. According to Michael Hauser in his brief biography of McAdoo on the DOCOMOMO WEWA, "While there [Jamaica], McAdoo promoted a modular house design which could be easily assembled by unskilled workers. The successful design was widely manufactured within the country." (See Michael Hauser, "McAdoo, Benjamin F. Jr. (1920 - 1981),"Accessed 06/10/2013.) McAdoo resettled in Washington, DC, after 1962 and assisted in the administration of the Latin American Division of the AID; he moved to the General Services Administration (GSA), the entity responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of US Federal buildings. McAdoo came back to live in Seattle by 1964, working for the City of Auburn's Public Building Services Department. He also took on private practice clients. By 1970, he began to pursue organizational and governmental work, doing projects for the City of Seattle, the University of Washington (UW), and King County.

Professional Awards

The American Institute of Architects (AIA), Seattle Chapter, presented the George Hage House, Seattle, WA, with its Seattle Times/AIA Home of the Year Award in 1956.

Archives

The University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Division, maintains the "Benjamin McAdoo Papers, 1941-1981." The collection contains 9.14 linear feet of "Correspondence, financial records, reports, notes, project files, clippings, architectual drawings and plans, posters, and news releases relative to his activities as president of the Seattle branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and career as an architect."

College

Coursework, Pasadena City College, Pasadena, CA.

Coursework, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA, 1942-1943.

B.Arch., University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 1944-1946; a junior project by Ben McAdoo entitled "An Automobile Salesroom and Shop for Maintenance and Repair," appeared in the 1943-1946 Year Book of the School of Architecture at the University of Washington, np, 1946.

Relocation

Born in Pasadena, CA, McAdoo spent his childhood in that city. He took college coursework at Pasadena City College and the University of Southern Calfiornia (USC). By 1944, he had moved north to Seattle and took architectural classes at the University of Washington, from which he graduated in 1946.

In 1953, McAdoo and his wife resided at 2053 24th Avenue North. (See Seattle City Directory, 1953, p. 889.)

In 1960, Benjamin McAdoo resided at 17823 88th Avenue NE in Bothell, WA. He remained in this house which he designed until 1981, when he moved to Capitol Hill. He died that year.

Parents

His father, Benjamin F. McAdoo, Sr., a building contractor, and mother, Alfaretta DeRoussel McAdoo, lived in Pasadena, CA.

Spouse

He married Alice Thelma Dent (1916-2013). Born in GA, she grew up in Redlands, CA, in a single-parent household.

Children

Benjamin McAdoo, Jr., and Alice Thelma Dent had three children: Marcia M. Greenlee, Benjamin F. McAdoo III, and Enid E. McAdoo

Biographical Notes

McAdoo was a pioneering African-American architect. According to the BlackPast.org Blog,"He established the first African American-owned architecture firm in Seattle and was the first black man to practice architecture in Washington State." (See BlackPast.org Blog, "McAdoo, Benjamin (1920-1981)," accessed 10/28/2015.)

Member, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Seattle, WA;

President, NAACP, Seattle Chapter, 1964-1968. The BlackPast.org Blog stated on his community service: "In 1964 and, as president of the Seattle chapter of the NAACP, began broadcasting a weekly radio show focused on social issues. He maintained this post for four years."

During the 1960s, McAdoo worked on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, designing low-cost housing. This effort was carried out under the auspices of the United States Agency for International Development.

• Seattle, WA (Architect's Death)
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• Pasadena, CA (Architect's Birth)
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