Carey Jenkins facts for kids
Carey K. Jenkins was an important American architect who designed many buildings in the Los Angeles area. He passed away in 1987. He made history as the first Black student to graduate from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture. After finishing his studies in 1943, he served in the Army Air Force. In the late 1940s, he worked for another famous architect, A. Quincy Jones.
A Trailblazing Architect
Carey K. Jenkins was known for being well-connected with important people and government leaders. The Los Angeles Tribune, a newspaper, once wrote about how few Black architects received public building contracts. They mentioned, "James Garrott, Paul R. Williams, and Carey Jenkins, are the only Negro architects ever to get a public contract in this state... and except for Williams they get them infrequently." This shows how challenging it was for Black architects to get big projects at that time.
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Jenkins had his offices in Beverly Hills, California.
Key Partnerships and Projects
In 1972, Carey K. Jenkins teamed up with Charles E. Fleming. Together, they completed a very important project: the Martin Luther King, Jr. General Hospital. This hospital is located in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles.
By the late 1970s, their company, Jenkins-Fleming, Inc., had grown a lot. They had offices in six different cities across the United States and even in West Africa! Carey K. Jenkins was the chairman of the board for this successful company.
Notable Buildings Designed
Carey K. Jenkins helped design many important buildings in Los Angeles. Here are some of them:
- Bank of America branch at 4073 W. Washington Blvd.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. General Hospital at 1680 E. 120th St.
- Augustus Hawkins Psychiatric Center at 1720 E. 120th St.
- Hubert Humphrey Comprehensive Health Center at Slauson Ave. & Main St.
- Independent Square senior housing at 2455 S. St. Andrews Place
- Mary McLeod Bethune Junior High School (designed with Honnold & Rex)
