| As a girl, Louise Bethune showed great
promise (前途) in planning houses and various other structures. As an adult, she
was determined to become America's first woman architect (建筑师). Young architects then usually learned their skills by working in the drafting rooms (绘图室) of professional architects. Most architects didn't want to employ women. But Louise managed to make a well-known architect give her a chance. She worked from six in the morning to six in the evening. She wasn't paid much. But she learned much as she worked. And her employer allowed her to use his large library. In 1881, after five years of work and study, Louise set up her own office. She advertised that "the first professional woman architect in the country was ready for business." Louise insisted that she would not be limited to design private homes just because she was a woman. She sought out a variety of jobs and designed chapels (小教堂), storage buildings, factories and schools. She did very well, inspiring other women to become architects. She often spoke out for fair treatment for women and equal pay equal work. |