Simultaneously, we are celebrating Leatrice’s extraordinary life, as one of the most consequential figures in the McKissack family story and a true trailblazer in the American AEC industry.

When her husband, William DeBerry McKissack, fell ill in 1983, the family firm stood at a crossroads, and Leatrice made a decision to stand in the gap.

Armed with unshakable resolve to preserve a legacy for her daughters and the courage to lead, she shattered the glass ceiling as the first woman to own a Black-owned architecture & engineering firm in the United States. She went on to triple the size of the business, with many awards recognizing her groundbreaking accomplishments.

In 1987, she was awarded the design contract for the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, a project she considered her most meaningful, as it was built adjacent to the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.

That same year, she secured a $50 million contract with Howard University.

In 1990, the U.S. Department of Commerce named her National Female Entrepreneur of the Year.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton awarded her the Presidential Design Award, recognizing her trailblazing leadership.

Today, her spirit lives on through this firm and every legacy space McKissack & McKissack has the honor to build. These are spaces meant to serve communities, honor history, and welcome generations to come. Our team is proud to carry Leatrice’s work forward, building the future of America.

Rest well, Leatrice. You are deeply missed.

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