For 35 years, we’ve built more than projects—we’ve built trust, opportunity, and lasting change in the communities we serve. This milestone celebrates our legacy of innovation and the people who continue to shape our future with purpose and excellence.

For 35 years, McKissack & McKissack has carried forward a legacy more than a century in the making—one built on excellence, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to shaping stronger, more vibrant communities. As the oldest minority / women‑owned design and construction firm in the nation, our story spans generations of innovators who dared to open doors, redefine possibilities, and set new standards in the built environment. This anniversary is more than a celebration of time—it’s a testament to the people, projects, and partnerships that have shaped who we are today and continue to propel us forward.

Reaching this milestone underscores the importance of our mission: enhancing lives through the built environment with integrity, innovation, and impact. Over the past three and a half decades, we have delivered thousands of transformative projects nationwide—from major civic landmarks to educational, cultural, aviation, and infrastructure programs—all while staying true to the values that define us. As we honor this moment, we also look ahead with excitement for the next chapter—continuing to expand our reach, elevate our communities, and build a future that reflects the excellence and purpose at the heart of the McKissack legacy.

OUR HISTORY

McKissack & McKissack is an outgrowth of the oldest minority-owned architecture / engineering firm in the United States.

Its roots go back to before the Civil War, when a slave named Moses McKissack learned the building trade from his overseer. It was his grandson, Moses III, who launched the first McKissack & McKissack in Nashville, Tennessee. The year was 1905.
McKissack & McKissack was founded by Deryl McKissack in 1990. When Ms. McKissack established her company, she was the fifth generation of her family to carry on the building tradition.

Company Timeline

1700

The McKissack family traces their ancestry back five generations to the Ashanti Tribe of Ghana, from where a young man was taken. He survived the horrors of the middle passage and was sold into bondage to William McKissack of North Carolina. This young African was given the name Moses McKissack.

1790

Moses McKissack comes to this country as a slave, owned by a prominent contractor who used his skills as a master carpenter. He passed the trade down through the generations, with his grandsons becoming the first licensed black architects in the Southeastern United States.

1840

Gabriel Moses McKissack (1840-1923) laid the foundation in Giles County for a family building tradition. A carpenter and a son of a master craftsman and freedman Moses I. Gabriel fathered six sons with whom many Giles County buildings are associated.

1905

Moses III, along with his brother Calvin, launches the first McKissack architecture and engineering firm in Nashville, TN. He was the grandson of Moses McKissack, a slave who learned the trade of building from his owner and began a family legacy in the industry.

1912

Calvin McKissack starts his independent practice in Dallas, TX, specializing in the design and construction of dormitories and churches.

1922

Calvin rejoins Moses II and the two become among the first registered architects in the state of Tennessee and the first licensed black architects throughout the southeast.

1941

The firm expands outside Tennessee. The firm received licenses from Alabama in 1941 and from Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Mississippi in 1943. Tennessee authorities called McKissack and McKissack "...somewhat unique in the fact that it is one of the few Negro architectural firms in the country" and had "done some creditable work in Nashville."

1942

The McKissack firm is awarded a $5.7 million contract to design and build the 99th Pursuit Squadron Airbase in Tuskegee, AL, the largest federal contract at that time ever given to an African-American firm.

1968

William DeBerry, the youngest son of Moses III, takes the helm as President of the firm. He nurtured the talents of his daughters—Andrea, Cheryl and Deryl—who all excelled in the fields of architecture and engineering.

1975

Upon retirement, William DeBerry’s wife, Leatrice, assumes the position of Chief Executive Officer of the McKissack firm.

1990

As an outgrowth of the McKissack firm founded in Nashville, TN, Deryl McKissack starts her own company—McKissack & McKissack—in Washington, DC as a sole entrepreneur working with very limited financial resources.

2002

Deryl McKissack expands the organization into the Chicago region, to begin working on large programs for Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Housing Authority and the City of Chicago (O'Hare International Airport).

2002

McKissack & McKissack makes its debut in Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 100 “Construction Management-For-Fee Firms” at #91.

2005

McKissack completes its first international project, a conceptual masterplan and design for a new American University campus in Yola, Nigeria. The firm designed the first six buildings for 1,400 students.

2008

McKissack expands into the west coast with its new office in the Los Angeles marketplace, with clients such as the LA Metropolitan Transportation Authority, LA World Airports and LA Unified School District.

2009

For the first time, McKissack ranks among ENR’s Top 50 Program Management Firms at #49 and is also listed in the Top 100 Construction Management-for-Fee Firms.

2013

McKissack opened its Baltimore office to strengthen its presence in the Mid-Atlantic region and better serve clients with local expertise.

2015

McKissack moves down south into the Dallas region providing program management and commissioning services to clients such as Texas Women's University, Texas A&M University, the Texas Facilities Commission, and Michaels Stores.

2020

McKissack becomes the first African American firm to win a major contract for the City of Fort Worth, TX. For the first time in history, Fort Worth has selected an African-American, woman-owned firm as the prime contractor for two categories.

2023

In 2023, McKissack secured a contract to provide project and program management consulting services for a three-billion-dollar, multi-year initiative to rebuild and modernize its public-school infrastructure — the largest project and program management award in our 35‑year history.

2025

McKissack earned recognition in ENR’s Top 100 Professional Services Firms for Construction Management/PM-for-Fee and celebrated major project milestones with clients including Chicago Public Schools, University of Illinois, Maryland Stadium Authority, United Airlines, PGCPS, DDOT, ComEd, and Arlington County.

2025

Our 35th anniversary marks a proud milestone that reflects decades of growth, resilience, and impact. Guided by our humble, hungry, and smart mindset, we’ve expanded our reach, strengthened our expertise, and delivered work that elevates communities. Through it all, our core values—collaboration, integrity, innovation, excellence, and empathy—have remained the foundation of who we are.