This collection contains an oral history interview with Phil Freelon that was conducted by Gwynn Thayer in 2017. Included is a full transcription of the interview. In the interview, Freelon discusses: his family and growing up in Philadelphia during the civil rights movement; the influence of the arts by his grandfather, a painter in the Harlem Renaissance; his education at Central High School; the mentorship of both John Spencer at Hampton University and Roger Clark at North Carolina State University; discrimination and diversity in the field of architectural education; the architectural profession on the national stage; acquiring projects within the public arena; his work on museums, specifically the National African American Association of Museums; and cultivating talent in a design firm and his management philosophy.
Phil Freelon (1953-2019), was an African American architect who was founder and president of The Freelon Group, Inc., and then managing director and director of design of Perkins + Will, located in Durham, North Carolina. Freelon specialized in public architecture and was best known for his design of cultural museums and educational buildings in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; San Francisco, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia; and Durham, Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina. Freelon led the design team that gave shape to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. He was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, won the 2012 Design Guild Award, and the same year was appointed to the United States Commission of Fine Arts by President Obama.
Phil Freelon (1953-2019), was an African American architect who was founder and president of The Freelon Group, Inc., and then managing director and director of design of Perkins + Will, located in Durham, North Carolina. Freelon specialized in public architecture and was best known for his design of cultural museums and educational buildings in Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; San Francisco, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia; and Durham, Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina. Freelon led the design team that gave shape to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. He was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, won the 2012 Design Guild Award, and the same year was appointed to the United States Commission of Fine Arts by President Obama.
This collection contains an oral history interview with Phil Freelon that was conducted by Gwynn Thayer in 2017. Included is a full transcription of the interview. In the interview, Freelon discusses: his family and growing up in Philadelphia during the civil rights movement; the influence of the arts by his grandfather, a painter in the Harlem Renaissance; his education at Central High School; the mentorship of both John Spencer at Hampton University and Roger Clark at North Carolina State University; discrimination and diversity in the field of architectural education; the architectural profession on the national stage; acquiring projects within the public arena; his work on museums, specifically the National African American Association of Museums; and cultivating talent in a design firm and his management philosophy.
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
[Identification of item], Phil Freelon Oral History, MC 00626, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Gift of Phil Freelon, 2017 (Accession 2017.0127)
Included are MP4 and WAV files.
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PDF file
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[Identification of item], Phil Freelon Oral History, MC 00626, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.