Julia Morgan 1872 –1957 Julia Morgan was one of the most prolific and consequential architects of the early twentieth century, redefining American architecture through craft, civic commitment, and structural competence. Born in San Francisco in 1872, she was the first woman admitted to the École des Beaux-Arts and went on to complete more than 700 buildings across California. Morgan’s architecture is defined by pragmatic intelligence rather than stylistic dogma. She worked fluently across Beaux-