Thomas Wilson Boyde, Jr. was Rochester’s first professional African-American architect. He entered the profession in 1928, at a time when there were very few African-American architects in the entire nation. Boyde was a well-rounded, creative, path-breaking professional, and his career spanned almost half a century! His impressive contributions can still be seen in the man-made surroundings of Rochester, Monroe County, and New York State.

Thomas Boyde designed and built nearly every kind of structure you can see around the Rochester region, from car washes and grocery stores, to public and private housing, post offices, retail plazas, fire departments, office complexes, and churches. He helped shape the look and feel of Rochester and its suburbs, designing buildings that served all the needs of the area’s growing population after World War Two. Some of the more notable projects that he was involved in and can be seen today include the Rundel Public Library and the Monroe Community Hospital.

Boyde was born and raised in Washington, D.C. From an early age, he excelled in mathematics, engineering, and design. Although his family was far from wealthy, Thomas’ parents made sacrifices and encouraged him to achieve his dreams. He loved to draw from the time he was in elementary school, and he was able to transform this passion into a profession by studying engineering and architecture in college and graduate school.

Thomas had a powerful thirst for knowledge and a drive to further his education. At Brown University, where he studied civil engineering, he worked as a golf caddy and helped friends with homework to pay for his tuition. He was able to graduate at the young age of 19! At Syracuse, Boyde beat out much more experienced architects to win third place in a competition to design the State Tower in Syracuse. This impressive feat for a 21-year-old gained him national attention as an architect.

After working for many years at Firestone’s firm, Boyde again made history by starting his own personal firm. He was one of the very first African-American architects in the nation to do so. He started small, working out of his home for several years. As he gained experience and clients, Boyde earned the reputation as a tireless and inventive designer. He was able to move into a beautiful, historic office building in downtown Rochester and enjoyed a long and successful career.