Willie Edward Jenkins (1923-1988)

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Willie Edward Jenkins
(1923-1988)
W. Edward Jenkins, who was known as "Blue" by his
many friends and colleagues, was bom on November
24, 1923, in Wake County, North Carolina, to Willie
and Emmaline Jenkins. His father died when he was
still a toddler. His mother was a seamstress.
He received his public school education in the
Raleigh, North Carolina, public schools, completing
Washington High School. Jenkins served his country in
the U.S. Army Coips of Engineers from 1943 until
February 19, 1946, when he was honorably discharged.
While in the U.S. army, Jenkins married Gladys Rand
in 1945. One daughter, Miltrine, was born to this union.
Following his military stint, he entered North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University,
where he received a bachelor of science degree in architectural engineering widi high honors in 1949.
Jenkins was a registered architect and practiced architecture for thirty-nine years in North Carolina,
South Carolina, Florida, and Virginia. He distinguished himself as an architect, community leader,
and public servant in the state of North Carolina.
From 1949 to 1961, he served as design and project
manager with Loeweustein & Atkinson Architects in
Greensboro, North Carolina. During that time of rigid
racial separation, it was rare to find a Black architect
working for a White firm.
While working at Loewenstein & Atkinson Architects in the late 1950s, Jenkins served as design architect for the Dudley High School gymnasium in
Greensboro. His design was innovative because of its
intersecting roof arches and many windows. This in
novative gymnasium design received accolades from
the National Association of School Architects, the
local chapter of the American Institute of Architects,
and the American Institute of Steel Construction.1
Because of pressure by the Dudley High School
alumni and historic preservationists, the Guilford
County Board of Education spared the gymnasium
and main building from demolition. A decision to rebuild the school was replaced with one to renovate it.
In 2002 the Dudley High School gymnasium along
with the main building (1920) were nominated for
listing on the National Register of Historic Places.2
In 1962 Jenkins opened his own architectural practice, W. Edward Jenkins, AIA, Architects, in Greensboro. During his architectural career, he designed and
supervised the construction of many buildings on the
campus of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical
State University, including the football stadium and the
Ronald McNair School of Engineering. The McNair
building was designed in association with J. Hyatt
Hammond Associates of Greensboro. His other works
included the Saint James Presbyterian and Saint
Matthews United Methodist churches and renovation of
the Hayes-Taylor Young Men's Christian Association
(YMCA) in Greensboro and the Law School Building
at North Carolina Central University in Durham. Jenkins also designed the Tln-ee College Observatory in
Greensboro in 1981, which featured a state-of-the-art
telescope for use by students, faculty, and members
of the community. He also designed the Modern-style
home of Greensboro attorney, J. Kenneth Lee.
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