Marshall Purnell facts for kids

Marshall Emmiett Purnell is an American architect. He was born on June 8, 1950. He helped start an architecture company called Devrouax+Purnell in Washington, D.C. In 2008, he became the president of the American Institute of Architects, which is a big group for architects.

Early Life and School

Marshall Emmiett Purnell was born in Toledo, Ohio. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When he was in high school, he was a great basketball player. His team even won a state championship! He was so good that the Boston Red Sox baseball team wanted him to play for them. But Marshall chose to study architecture instead of sports.

He went to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. There, he earned degrees in architecture and urban planning. This means he learned how to design buildings and plan cities.

Marshall Purnell's Career

After finishing college, Marshall Purnell taught design at the University of Maryland for a short time. Then, in 1974, he started working for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in Washington, D.C.

Starting His Own Company

In 1978, another respected architect named Paul S. Devrouax asked Marshall to join him. They decided to start their own architecture company. This company became known as Devrouax+Purnell. Marshall was a main designer and vice president there for 35 years. He worked there until Paul S. Devrouax passed away in 2010.

Marshall Purnell also led the National Organization of Minority Architects in 1985 and 1986. This group helps support architects from minority backgrounds.

Leading the American Institute of Architects

In 2006, something very important happened. Marshall Purnell was chosen to be the national president of the American Institute of Architects. He was the first African American architect to hold this position in 150 years! This was a big step for making architecture and design more diverse. Before 1923, African Americans were not even allowed to be members of this organization.

Marshall Purnell has received many awards for his work. In 2009, he received an honorary Doctorate of Architecture. This is a special degree given to people who have achieved a lot in their field.

In 2014, Marshall Purnell began teaching at North Carolina State University. He teaches students about professional practice in architecture and helps guide them.

Famous Projects

As a lead designer at Devrouax+Purnell, Marshall Purnell helped create many well-known buildings and projects. Some of these include:

• The Washington Convention Center, a huge building for big meetings.
• Nationals Park, which is where the Washington Nationals baseball team plays.
• The Verizon Center, a sports arena for basketball and hockey games.
• Headquarters for big companies like PEPCO Energy and FreddieMac.
• The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, a special place to remember a famous leader.
• Many projects for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which runs the public transportation system.
• Modernizing U.S. Embassies in places like Moscow.