Mary Mykolyk for International Women's Day

Strip negative press photos of Mary Mykolyk at
Curtis & Davis. Frank Lotz Miller, photographer.

In honor of International Women's Day today, we thought we would focus on New Orleans architect, Ismay Mary Mykolyk (1926-1985). Born in British-controlled Nairobi, Kenya, she was educated in England, and received her architecture degree from the University of Manitoba, Canada in 1949. In architecture school, she met fellow student, John Peter Mykolyk (1925-2015), whom she married. Together, they started a career in Minnesota. The couple soon relocated to New Orleans, where Mary established herself as an associate architect in the firm of Curtis & Davis in 1954, where she was Chief Associate Architect on several projects, including the Tulane University Student Center, the Guste Housing Project, New Orleans, and the U.S. Embassy in Saigon.

Mary established her own firm in 1965 in New Orleans, sometimes partnering with other local firms including Lowrey, Hess, Boudreaux, and Farnet (Loyola University Law School), and Lawrence and Saunders (Loyola University Science Complex).

Tulane University Student Center, 1959. Curtis & Davis, architects (Mary Mykolyk, Chief Associate Architect). Frank Lotz Miller, photographer. Curtis & Davis Project Photographs, SEAA.

Exterior night view, interior at night, and swimming pool.

Guste Housing Project, New Orleans. 1964. Curtis & Davis, architects (Mary Mykolyk, Chief Associate Architect). Frank Lotz Miller, photographer. Curtis & Davis Project Photographs, SEAA. Two exterior views, top shows Mary Mykolyk pointing.

Loyola University Law School, New Orleans. 1968 - 1969, perspective elevation. Mary Mykolyk; Lowrey, Hess, Boudreaux, and Farnet, architects.Ink and Zipatone on vellum.