Ronda Skubi was born in 1947 to parents Kazimir and Marjorie Skubi. Ronda Skubi grew up in Seattle, attending the University of Washington and graduating in 1975 with a degree in landscape architecture. Skubi married Edward Sheets in 1981.
Thirteen 90-minute audiocassette tapes of interviews conducted by
Skubi for a paper entitled
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Donated by Ronda Skubi.
Interviews with 12 women landscape architects conducted by Ronda
Skubi for her manuscript
Mai Kitazawa Arbegast (1922-2012) was a landscape architect and professor based in Berkeley, California.
Mai Kitazawa grew up in San Jose, California, where her family operated the Kitazawa Seed Company. She and her family were incarcerated at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming during World War II. Despite this, she enrolled at Oberlin College in Ohio and earned her bachelor’s degree in botany and ecology in 1945. She continued with her education, receiving master’s degrees in ornamental horticulture from Cornell University and landscape architecture from University of California Berkeley. She married David Arbegast, a fellow landscape architect whom she met at Berkeley. She went on to teach horticulture and landscape design classes at Berkeley for 12 years until 1966. She then went into private practice as a landscape architect and consultant. During her career, she was involved in many professional organizations and in expanding the gardens at the Filoli Historic House & Garden.
In this interview Mai Arbegast discusses her education and career in horticulture and landscape design. This career included twelve years as a professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Berkeley as well as her own private practice and consultation work. Subjects addressed include Arbegast’s childhood, incarceration during WWII, influencing figures throughout her career, current projects and work with various organizations, her family, and women in the profession of landscape architecture.
Lucille Biesbroeck (1948- ) is a landscape architect based in California.
Biesbroeck grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. In 1966, she began studying landscape architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, in the School of Environmental Design. As a student, she worked at the landscape architecture firm of John Vogley. After graduating with her BLA from Berkeley, she began working at the firm of Royston, Hanamoto, Beck & Abey as a landscape architect in 1971.
In this interview Lucille Biesbroeck discusses her education and emerging career in landscape architecture in the San Francisco Bay Area. Topics discussed include childhood and influences in her career choice, educational experience at Berkeley, work experience at multiple landscape architectural firms, past and current work projects, connecting with clients and other professionals in the field, career goals, women in the profession of landscape architecture, as well as her personal life and interests.
Mary Booth (1942- ) was one of the early graduates of the landscape architecture program at the University of Washington, receiving her BLA in 1965.
Booth grew up in the Portland area of Oregon. She worked in the office of Richard Haag Associates at a time when the Seattle landscape architecture profession was expanding and being energized. She has worked for several other private firms in the Seattle area and as a consultant for King County.
In this interview Mary Booth discusses her education and career as a landscape architect in the Seattle area. She describes people and events growing up that influenced her interest in landscape architecture. She also describes being a student in the newly founded landscape architecture program at the University of Washington in the mid-1960s, including professors Richard Haag and Don Sakuma. Other topics include her work at Richard Haag Associates, Jongejan/Gerrard/Associates, and other private landscape architecture firms. She elaborates on the landscape architecture profession as a whole, including ability to take time off, balancing work and home life, and women in the profession.
Elizabeth Brazeau (1910-1980) was a self-taught landscape architect in the Seattle area.
Born Elizabeth Wallon, she grew up in Seattle. She attended the University of Washington where she graduated with a degree in fine arts and met her husband, Wendell Brazeau. She began practicing landscape architecture in her forties after studying plants and landscape design extensively on her own and through lecture courses. She worked predominantly on residential projects, although also undertook public projects and consulting during her career.
In this interview Elizabeth Brazeau discusses her self-taught education and career in landscape architecture in the Seattle area. She discusses early interests and influences as well as her educational background and entrance into the landscape architecture profession. She talks about her past and current projects, including working with clients and contractors. Brazeau discusses personal life and elaborates on aspects of the landscape architecture profession, including increasing opportunities of growth, women in the profession, and influential individuals.
Barbara Vorse Fealy (1903-2000) was a landscape architect who worked in the profession for over 50 years.
Barbara Vorse was born to parents Bettie and Albert Justin Vorse who owned one of the largest plant nurseries in Utah. She graduated with a degree in landscape architecture from the University of Illinois in 1925. For several years she worked for the landscape architecture firm of McCrary, Culley, and Carhart in Denver. After moving to Salt Lake City, she work for the Utah State Planning Commission and then opened her own landscape architecture business in 1929. She and her family moved to Portland, Oregon where she continued running her own landscape architecture business, working on projects throughout the Pacific Northwest.
In this interview Barbara Fealy discusses her education and career in landscape architecture. She talks about being one of the few women in the landscape architecture program at the University of Illinois. Fealy also discusses the trajectory of her career, from work at a private firm in Denver to being part of the Utah State Planning Commission to opening her own landscape architecture business. She provides in depth description of some of the projects that she has worked on, including the Salishan resort community on the Oregon coast. She also discusses aspects of the profession as a whole, including the role of women in the field. Other topics include her childhood and parents, early education, family and children, involvement with community projects and planning commissions, and her travels in Europe.
Dorothy Hussey (1919-2000) was a landscape architect who worked for private firms in California and ran her own business in the Pacific Northwest.
Dorothy Hussey was born and raised in California to parents Louis and Winifred Crawford. She graduated with a B.S. in Landscape Architecture in 1942 from University of California, Berkeley. She then worked for the Bureau of Yards and Docks in the Navy Department during World War II. She worked for ten years at Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill where she did architectural drafting, site planning, and landscape architecture. She took a five-year hiatus from work after moving to Seattle to raise young children. She later opened her own business in landscape architecture doing residential work.
In this interview Dorothy Hussey discusses her education and career in landscape architecture in California. She talks about early influences on her career choice and her education in landscape design at Berkeley. She discusses her work experience, including early work in architectural drafting and site planning. She elaborates on her work at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill which included projects throughout the country and internationally. She goes on to discuss the private firm she opened as well as her volunteer work and personal life. In addition, she provides insights on the landscape architecture profession as a whole, including advice to others in the profession, women in the profession, and her philosophy of design.
Ann Casselberry Janelli (1932-1977) was a landscape architect who worked in various private firms in California. She later opened her own firm in near Berkeley with her architect husband, Edward Janelli.
Ann Casselberry grew up on a farm outside of Chicago. She attended the University of Chicago but left school when she married in 1949. She and her husband, Grange Simons Coffin, later divorced and she moved to Reno, Nevada, with her four children. She entered the Landscape Architecture Program at University of California, Berkeley, and graduated with her BLA in the mid-1960s. She then worked in land planning and landscape architecture for various firms in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Lawrence Halprin & Associates; Eckbo, Dean, Austin & Williams (EDAW); and Ribera & Sue. She went on to open a private practice with her second husband, called Janelli & Janelli.
In this interview Ann Janelli discusses her education and career in landscape architecture in California. She talks about influences on her career choice and her decision to pursue a degree in the landscape architecture program at Berkeley while raising four children. She discusses her work and the environments of the various landscape architecture firms that she worked at in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also discusses the development and current work of the private practice she opened with her architect husband. She provides insights into the landscape architecture profession as a whole, including women in the profession, the role of landscape architects and their lack of visibility, and flexibility of the profession
Helaine Kaplan Prentice (1949- ) is a landscape architect, city planner, and author based in Berkeley, California.
She grew up in New Jersey and received her bachelor’s degree in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. She went on to get her master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from Harvard in 1973. She then worked in planning for local government, including the City of Oakland, as well as consulting. She is currently a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley, in city and regional planning.
In this interview Helaine Kaplan discusses her education and career in landscape architecture and city planning. She talks about her unconventional entrance into the landscape architecture profession through her undergraduate education in city planning at the University of Pennsylvania. She goes on to talk about her graduate education in the landscape architecture program at Harvard, including the challenges of being a woman and lacking a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture. She discusses her work in city planning, particularly with the City of Oakland, as well as influences in her career, and starting her own consulting business. In addition, she discusses aspects of the landscape architecture profession as a whole, including women in the profession, the lack of criticism in the profession, and the importance of landscape architects working in local government.
Jean Walton (1910-1994) was a landscape architect in California, who worked at the firm of Lawrence Halprin & Associates for 25 years. Over the course of her career, she became the plant expert and an eventual principal at the firm.
Jean Walton grew up in Berkeley, California, earning a bachelor’s degree in applied arts from the California School of Arts and Crafts in 1934. During World War II, she worked as a drafting engineer at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. After the war, she took a position in the office of landscape architects Florence Yoch and Lucile Council. Walton graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture (BLA) from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1950. As a student, she had worked part-time for Lawrence Halprin. After graduating, she became a full-time employee of Lawrence Halprin & Associates. Over the years, her role evolved from general work to specialization in plants, working on projects throughout the country and internationally. During her career, she received accolades including the Landscape Award from the American Association of Nurserymen for the design of the Oakbrook Shopping Center in Oak Brook, Illinois. She was also a periodic lecturer at Berkeley. Walton retired in 1975.
In this interview Jean Walton discusses her education and career in landscape architecture in the San Francisco Bay Area. She talks about influencing experiences in her eventual entrance into the landscape architecture profession, including childhood events, her work for Lockheed during World War II, her job at the office of landscape architects Florence Yoch and Lucile Council, education in landscape architecture program at Berkeley, and student employment in Lawrence Halprin’s landscape architecture firm. She discusses her work over the course of 25 years at Lawrence Halprin & Associates, including her specialization in plant materials and planting design, as well as various projects she has worked on, including one of her favorite projects at the Oakbrook Shopping Center in Oak Brook, Illinois. In addition, Walton discusses her personal life and various aspects of the landscape architecture profession, including women in the profession, characteristics needed to succeed as a landscape architect, and her design philosophy.
Roberta Wightman (1912-2010) was a landscape architect who worked in the Pacific Northwest for over 50 years. Prior to her move to Seattle in 1944, she worked as a landscape architect in Springfield, Illinois (1938-1944).
Wightman was born and raised in Chicago by physician parents. She took courses at Oberlin College in Ohio, Middlebury College in Vermont, and Cambridge University in England. She received a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 1938. When Wightman moved to Seattle, she worked for Edwin Grohs at the University of Washington Arboretum. Wightman then worked for Edwin Grohs and Associates in Seattle from 1945-1948 before starting her own landscape architecture business. Roberta Wightman retired in 2000.
In this interview Roberta Wightman discusses her education and career in landscape architecture, from the early influences of her parents to past and current work, as well as advice for those entering the profession. She talks about her education, including her early Montessori education; college education; art classes at Taos, New Mexico; and her education in the landscape architecture program at University of Illinois. She describes in depth some of the projects she has worked on, including her first job on a five-year project planning and designing a community surrounding Lake Springfield. She also discusses personal life and various aspects of the landscape architecture profession, including being a woman in the profession, her design philosophy, and changes in the profession over time.
Two of the 12 women interviewed declined to be recorded. Ronda Skubi created transcripts of these interviews based on notes taken during the interview.
Patricia Carlisle (1928-2020) was a landscape architect for over 25 years, working at firms in Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Pat Carlisle was born and raised outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was educated in landscape architecture at Penn State University, earning her BLA in 1950. She went on to work at the landscape architectural firm of Simonds and Simonds for ten years, becoming an associate in 1955. She moved to San Francisco in 1961, and joined the landscape architectural firm of Royston, Hanamoto, Beck & Abey (at the time named Royston, Hanamoto & Mayes). She became a principal at the firm in 1974. Carlisle also served on the City of San Francisco Art Commission from 1978 to 1983.
In this interview Pat Carlisle discusses her education and career in landscape architecture. She talks about her childhood and influence of family in her career choice as well as her education at Penn State. She also discusses her work at various firms, including Simonds and Simonds in Philadelphia and Royston, Hanamoto, Beck & Abey in San Francisco. She also addresses the profession of landscape architecture as a whole, commenting on the characteristics needed to be a landscape architect as well as women in the profession.
Marcia Dawson (1942- ) is a landscape architect whose work has been primarily in the Pacific Northwest.
Marcia Dawson was born and raised in Pennsylvania. She attended Wellesley College where she earned a bachelor’s degree in art history. She went on to study landscape architecture at the graduate level at the University of Pennsylvania where she received her MLA. After moving with her husband to Seattle in 1967, Dawson began working part-time for the landscape architectural firm Jongejan/Gerrard/Associates in Bellevue, Washington.
In this interview Marcia Dawson discusses her education and career in landscape architecture. She talks about formative aspects of her life including parents and attending Wellesley College. She goes on to talk about her pursuit of a career in landscape architecture through education at the University of Pennsylvania and work experience in the field. This work includes her job at the landscape architecture firm of Jongejan/Gerrard/Associates. She discusses personal life, including her husband and children and balancing roles of work and family. She also provides insights into women in landscape architecture and her contributions to the profession.
Slides of gardens designed by Barbara Fealy.
Possibly the garden of Mr. and Mrs. William W. Wessinger, 321 NW Hilltop Road, Portland, OR.
Beatrix Farrand (1872-1959) was a founding member of the Women in Landscape Architecture organization.
Includes introduction by Darwina L. Neal, Chairperson, Task Force on Women in Landscape Architecture.
Manuscript submitted to the Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Washington.
Manuscript includes transcripts of interviews with Roberta Wightman, Jean Walton, Helaine Kaplan, Ann Janelli, Dorothy Hussey, Barbara Fealy, Marcia Dawson, Patricia Carlisle, Elizabeth Brazeau, Mary Booth, Lucille Biesbroeck and Mai Arbegast.
Article written by Pat McLorie.