John S. Chase, FAIA (1925 - 2012) was from Baltimore, Maryland. After serving in WWII, he earned a degree in architecture from Hampton University in Virginia. In 1952, he earned a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Texas, becoming the first African American person to do so. He soon became the first registered African American architect in Texas. Unable to find work, he started his own firm, specializing in the design of churches and houses. His early work was inspired mostly by Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian ideals. He moved to Houston to accept a position at Texas Southern University, the beginning of his involvement with the campus. Through his office in Houston, he designed a number of buildings for the TSU campus, where the largest collection of his work can be found. John Chase’s legacy extends beyond his own work. As a founding member of NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) in 1971 and throughout his long career, he continued to advocate for and support minority architects. 

-Docomomo US/Chicago