In the history of American architecture, there are figures whose influence extends far beyond the blueprints they drafted. Houstonian John S. Chase was such a figure. He was not only the first African American licensed architect in the state of Texas but also a pivotal figure in the development of Houston’s urban fabric.

Two days after the U.S. Supreme Court integrated American higher education with its 1950 Sweatt v. Painter decision, John Chase enrolled in the School of Architecture at The University of Texas. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 1992, and in 2025 the architecture school’s library was named the John S. Chase Architecture and Planning Library.

Our September 11 PrimeTimers program will examine Chase’s legacy through a lens focused on the Midcentury Modern residence he designed for his family in Houston’s Riverside neighborhood, which became a gathering place for influential African-American political, business and community leaders.

As Texas Monthly wrote in April 2021: “From the sixties to the nineties, practically everyone who was anyone in the state’s Democratic politics or civil rights movement could be found, at some point, at the Houston home of architect John S. Chase. It was an exquisitely groovy house, a hub for parties and dealmaking, where people gathered — looking good, feeling good — to try and change the world.”

Come learn more about this amazing man, his architecture, and leadership beyond architecture. One does not have to be of Primetimer age to attend. All are welcome.

Gather in Fondren Hall at 10:30 am. Program at 11, and $10 lunch served to those who RSVP by September 8 to primetimers@stpaulshouston.org

September 2025 Primetimers Newsletter