Charles Francis McAfee, , (born December 25, 1932), is an American architect, building material manufacturer, and housing activist. He was the founding president of Charles F. McAfee Architects, Engineers, and Planners firm (now McAfee) which was headquartered in Wichita,

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. McAfee has had a distinguished career, and has been considered one of the most important African-American architect in the United States for his social activism in designing affordable housing. He was a mentor to many of Black architects, including two of his own daughters.

Early life

Charles Francis McAfee was born on December 25, 1932, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, California, to parents Willie Anna (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Brown) and Arthur James McAfee. He served with

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

from 1953 to 1955, during the end of the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

and was sent to Germany. McAfee graduated with a B.Arch in 1958 from

University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska, NU, or UNL) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. Chartered in 1869 by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the M ...

Career

McAfee was one of the first black registered architects in the

State of Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

. Vondrak, Kerry McCullough (January 20, 2024)
Alumni News - Charles F. McAfee.
College of Architecture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Retrieved June 10, 2025. In 1963, McAfee began his own firm in Wichita, Kansas. Through the years, Charles F. McAfee Architects, Engineers and Planners expanded and opened satellite offices in Dallas and Atlanta. McAfee was known for his modernist designs. In 1966, his “convertible” design allowed for flexibility in creating spaces with limited or confined infill lot locations. He tackled social inequalities with a focus on designing affordable housing and utilized a modular approach. In order to build the modular building components, Mc Afee opened a manufacturing plant in 1994 that hired and trained people from the community. McAfee Manufacturing Company, Inc. hired and trained workers from the Wichita area. In 1999, the manufacturing plant was shut down after facing debt. In 1976, he served as president of the

National Organization of Minority Architects The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) is a professional organization for individuals practicing architecture and allied professionals to advance justice and equity in communities of color. History In 1968, activist and executiv ...

(NOMA), and is one of NOMA's 45 charter members. He also served as president of the National Business League, and president of the Urban League of Wichita. In 1981, McAfee was elected to the Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA). In 2006, McAfee transitioned ownership of his firm to Cheryl Lynn McAfee Mitchell and Charyl Frena McAfee-Duncan, his daughters. McAfee manages the firm's Atlanta office, and McAfee-Duncan directs the Dallas office.

Awards and honors

In 1999, McAfee received the prestigious Whitney Young Award from the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

at the AIA National Convention and Expo in Dallas, Texas. In 2020, the Wichita McAdams Park Pool was renamed the McAfee Pool in his honor. In addition, McAfee received the Excellence in Architecture honor from Kansas AIA, and the Building Innovation for Homeownership award from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Personal

In 1955, McAfee married his childhood friend and singer, Gloria Myrth Winston. The couple had three daughters. Two of his daughters, Cheryl L. McAfee and Charyl Frena McAfee-Duncan, are also notable architects and serve in leadership positions at McAfee Architects in Atlanta. His archived papers are located at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...

Works

* R. A. Eubanks residence (1964), 1436 North Madison Avenue, Wichita, Kansas * Jackson Mortuary (1965), 600 North Main Street, Wichita, Kansas * McAdams Park pool (1969), Wichita, Kansas * McKnight Art Center (1970),

Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

, Wichita, Kansas * Edwin A. Ulrich Museum (1974), Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas * Midtown station (MARTA) (1982), Atlanta, Georgia *

1996 Olympic Games The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

(1996), Atlanta, Georgia * McAdams Park concession stand and restrooms (2016), Wichita, Kansas * Oklahoma City School District 89 renovation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma * Calvary Baptist Church, Wichita, Kansas

References