Marshall Purnell

Marshall Purnell (born June 8, 1950) is a prominent African-American architect and 2008 president of the American Institute of Architects.

Early life and education

Born in Toledo, Ohio, and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Marshall Purnell is the second son of the late Lelia (Givens) Purnell (1922-2016) and the late long-time professional jazz saxophonist Curtis Purnell (1921–2006). He attended Ottawa Hills High School where he played point guard on its state high school championship-winning basketball team. Though he was recruited by the Boston Red Sox, he chose not to pursue sports. Inspired by James Chaffers, he instead pursued and earned a Bachelor of Science in Architecture & Urban Planning, a Master of Architecture from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Career

After earning his degree, Purnell taught design until 1973 at the University of Maryland. Following that, he joined the American Institute of Architecture in 1974, working as an executive in the headquarters in Washington, DC until 1978.

In the summer of 1978, four months prior to Purnell leaving his executive position, Paul S. Devrouax, a well-esteemed architect with an already established firm proposed to Purnell, a partnership that would later be known as the firm Devrouax and Purnell Architects and Planners, PC. He served as the Design Principal of the firm for thirty-five years until the death of the co-founder, Paul S. Devrouax in 2010.

Purnell was the president of the National Organization of Minority Architects in 1985 and 1986. In 1994, he served as president of the College of Architecture and Planning Alumni Association Board of Governors and was a member of the University of Michigan Alumni Association Executive Committee from 1996 to 2003.

In 2006, Marshall was elected as the first African American architect to serve as the national president on the American Institute of Architects in 150 years; an organization that did not allow membership of African Americans until 1923. His inauguration marked a significant step to diversifying the fields of Architecture and Design.

In 2007, he received the University of Michigan Distinguished Service Award and Michigan’s College of Architecture Service Award whereupon he presented the Commencement Address. In 2009, he received an honorary Doctorate of Architecture from the Boston Architectural College.

He has lectured extensively abroad including locations such as Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Korea, and Mexico. In the US, he has lectured at the University of Maryland, the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, Howard, Florida A&M, Morgan State, Montana State, Prairie View, Tuskegee, and Yale University. Mr. Purnell has testified before Congress on numerous occasions and been interviewed and quoted by professional magazines and newspapers such as: Architectural Record, Building Design and Construction, Interiors, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal. In 2014, Purnell joined the College of Design at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He took the position of Professor of the Practice, Teaching Professional Practice, Design Studios, IDP Coordinator, AIAT Board Member, AIAS representative and Advisory Board Coordinator.

Notable work

As the Design Principal of Devrouax & Purnell Architects Planners, some firm projects include:
* the $850 million Washington Convention Center

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