Immediate Past Board President | Elizabeth Masters, AIA
Senator Art Haywood presents immediate past President Elizabeth (Betsy) Masters with a Senate Citation for her community service.
Join the entire AIA Philadelphia Board of Directors at the Induction Ceremony scheduled for January 11, 2018, 5:30 – 8 PM at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia. In addition to the induction ceremony, AIA Philadelphia will be honoring Elizabeth Masters, AIA, AFAAR, the 2018 recipient of the Thomas U. Walter Award, presented annually to a current member of the architectural profession to recognize their contributions to the architectural community through their service to the American Institute of Architects and other related professional organizations.
As 2016 AIA Pennsylvania President, Betsy spearheaded the AEC Education Summit and will be at the helm of the Pennsylvania Architects PAC in 2018. A graduate of the Ohio State University and the University of Virginia, Ms. Masters holds a Certificate in Economic Growth and Development from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania Fels Institute of Government. For the past 17 years, she has been self-employed with Elizabeth C. Masters Architects, Ltd. An active member of AIA on the local and State levels, Ms. Masters has held positions as Board Secretary and Chair of Government Affairs. Additionally, she has served as President, Vice President of Physical Division, and Chair of Land Use Planning and Zoning at the Chestnut Hill Community Association, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the neighborhood and maintaining a sense of community with 33 active committees and hundreds of volunteers. Ms. Masters’ volunteer and community involvement are complemented by her nearly 26 years as a professor in the architecture department at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. Betsy is currently Coordinator for Architecture and Interior Design at the Community College of Philadelphia.
The Thomas U. Walter Award is presented annually to a current member of the architectural profession and is intended to recognize their contributions to the architectural community through their service to the American Institute of Architects and other related professional organizations. Recipients of this award will have distinguished themselves amongst their colleagues through service to the ‘Institute’ on a local, state, or national level. Candidates for this award shall be proponents of good design practices, active advocates for the profession, and have demonstrated a commitment to community service.
Created in celebration of the AIA’s sesquicentennial anniversary (150 years), this award is presented in honor of Thomas Ustick Walter. Born in Philadelphia, Walter received his architectural training while under the employment of William Strickland. He began practicing architecture in 1830, and became one of founding members of the AIA in 1857, and later served as the organizations second president. Walter first came to national recognition for his Greek revival design of the original buildings at Girard College for Orphans. His most noteworthy project was the design of the central dome and the flanking chambers for the Senate and House or Representatives at the United States Capitol in 1850. Walter served as the Capitol architect from 1850 until 1865, and is considered by many to have been the dean of American architecture between the death of Benjamin Latrobe and the work of H.H. Richardson.
The recipient of this award is selected annually by the members of the Executive Committee of AIA Philadelphia. Outside nominations for this award may be considered by the Executive Committee. The Thomas U. Walter award is presented during the Chapter’s Induction ceremony each January.