India Boyer
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India Boyer (1907–1998) was an American architect who was the first woman to pass
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
's architectural licensing exam. She also worked as head of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the military engineering branch of the United States Army. A direct reporting unit (DRU), it has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil wor ...
' architecture department.


Early life and education

India Boyer was born on June 27, 1907, to Ethel and Calvin Boyer in
Shelby County, Ohio Shelby County is a county in the western portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 48,230. Its county seat is Sidney. Its name honors Isaac Shelby, first governor of Kentucky. Shelby County c ...
. She was named after India Schoaff, a family friend. India's mother was the first woman to serve on the Perry Township Board of Education, while her father was an
agriculturalist An agriculturist, agriculturalist, agrologist, or agronomist (abbreviated as agr.) is a professional in the science, practice, and management of agriculture and agribusiness. It is a regulated profession in Canada, India, the Philippines, the Uni ...
. She had two brothers, Ralph and Howard, one of whom became an engineer and the other a
metallurgist Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...
. In 1925, India graduated as
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of her class at Pemberton High School and enrolled in the
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
's Department of Architecture in 1926 along with six other women. Boyer was surprised to learn that
military training Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, proceed ...
was a requirement of the architectural program, but she refused to participate in it. Boyer's fellow students were cool towards her at first, but her perseverance earned their respect and eventually they warmed up enough to lend a hand with a critical design project towards the end of her time in the program. However, serious obstacles remained: at one point she learned that she was not eligible to take part in a competitive examination that allowed the winner to study architecture in France over the summer. She protested her exclusion and was told that the reason for it was that she "might win and there were no facilities for women there." During her junior and senior year, she worked for local architect Joseph Bradford. She graduated in 1930 along with 11 architects with Boyer being the only woman.


Career

The
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
struck just as Boyer entered the job market and she struggled to make a career in architecture. She was eventually hired by the U.S. Army Corps for Engineers where she worked on
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and
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projects, including the construction of the Beachmont levy in Cincinnati. In 1939, she was promoted to head of the Corps of Engineers' architecture department, a position she held for seven years. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, she was involved in designing buildings for wartime needs, including hospitals, airports, supply depots, warehouses, and housing. In 1941, she made history as the first woman in
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
to sit and pass the state architecture exam. After four more years with the Corps of Engineers, Boyer and colleagues Robert C. Vogt and William J. Ivers resigned and founded the architectural firm of Vogt, Ivers and Associates in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
, Ohio. Despite not being included in the firm's name, India became head of the firm and found herself up against tough competition from all-male practices. Boyer's interests ranged from commercial to industrial, recreational, educational buildings, including Elmwood Place School and the
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. During this time, the Ryerson Steel Company was expanding and Boyer helped with their architectural plans. In 1946, Boyer became the first female member of the Cincinnati chapter of 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 ...
(AIA).


Later life

Boyer suffered a heart attack in 1975 and as a consequence had to retire early, although she continued to work as a consultant. Boyer received the
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Women of Achievement award and the Distinguished Alumna Award from the Ohio State University College of Engineering in 1983. In 1994 a group of women who considered her a role model established the India Boyer Guild of Women in Architecture in her honor. She died in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
on February 9, 1998, at the age of 90.''The Sidney Daily News'', February 12, 1998, pg. 2A.


Papers

Boyer's architectural drawings and archives are held at the
University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...
's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning Library.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boyer, India 20th-century American architects American women architects 1907 births 1998 deaths 20th-century American women artists