Martha Cassell Thompson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martha Cassell Thompson
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| Born |
Martha Ann Cassell
1925 |
| Died | 1968 (aged 42–43) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning |
| Known for | Architecture |
| Spouse(s) |
Victor Thompson
(m. 1948) |
Martha Ann Cassell Thompson (born in 1925, died in 1968) was an important American architect. She came from a famous family of African-American architects. Martha was the main architect in charge of restoring the beautiful Washington National Cathedral.
Early Life and Education
Martha Ann Cassell Thompson was the second child of Albert Cassell. Her father, Albert, was also an architect. Her mother, Ann Mason Cassell, was a teacher in Baltimore.
Martha went to several schools in Washington, D.C. She attended James Monroe Elementary School, Garnett Patterson, and Banneker Junior School. She then went to Dunbar High School. Martha was a very good student and graduated as the top student in her class in 1943.
Her father, Albert Cassell, encouraged all his children to study architecture. Martha and her siblings, Charles Cassell and Alberta Jeannette Cassell, followed in his footsteps. Martha studied at Cornell University's School of Architecture. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in architecture in 1947 or 1948. Martha and her sister Alberta were the first two African-American women to get an architecture degree from Cornell University.
Career as an Architect
From 1949 to 1951, Martha Thompson worked for an architecture company in St. Louis. After that, she moved to District of Columbia. There, she joined the firm Frohman, Robb, & Little. She worked with architect Philip Hurbert Frohman.
Martha was very skilled in Gothic architecture. Because of her knowledge, she became the chief restoration architect for the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul. This church is now known as the Washington National Cathedral. She was also one of the few women architects on the team. This team was responsible for finishing the huge cathedral project. Martha worked on the cathedral from 1959 until 1968.
Besides her work as an architect, Martha Cassell Thompson was also a talented pianist. She also helped organize the Social Services Committee for the YWCA.
Family Life
In 1948, Martha Cassell married Dr. Victor Thompson. He was studying medicine at Meharry Medical College at the time. They had one child, a daughter named Karen Thompson, in 1949. Karen also became an architect, following in her mother's and grandfather's footsteps. This made her the third generation of architects in the family.
Martha Cassell Thompson passed away in 1968. She is buried at the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Suitland, Maryland.
