Julia Morgan

Julia Morgan (1872–1957) was an American architect whose work shaped California’s built landscape. Born in San Francisco, she studied civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, then trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, becoming the first woman admitted to its architecture program. Returning to California, she opened her own practice and designed hundreds of projects, noted for structural skill and refined craftsmanship. Morgan is best known for her long collaboration with William Randolph Hearst, creating Hearst Castle at San Simeon and other Hearst commissions. She also designed many YWCA buildings and educational and civic structures across the state.