ABSTRACT
Horace Trumbauer was a non-designing architect–businessman—who relied on his senior designer to create the “look” of all buildings produced by his 10-person, downtown, Philadelphia office. He recruited the crème de la crème of the University of Pennsylvania School of Architecture graduates. In 1906, he abruptly integrated his office hiring Julian Abele. Julian Abele was the first Negro architect to integrate a white-owned practice. One year latter Horace Trumbauer promoted Julian Abele to senior designer responsible for the “look” of all cut-stone buildings produced by the office. Atypically to other architects and because of his race, Julian Abele spent his entire career from 1906–1950 with the Office of Horace Trumbauer credited with the design of over 200 buildings (26 listed on the National Register of Historic Places).
