Dorothy and Bill Trogdon. Photos courtesy of the Trogdons.
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During the development of one of my firm’s most compelling projects – a 2013 exhibition featuring Spokane’s mid-century modern architects – one story in particular stood out to me.
We learned of a 1952 graduate from Harvard’s Master of Architecture program who faced a common challenge during that era. Even being married that same year to a graduating student from the Harvard Graduate School of Design (a parallel architecture program directed by Walter Gropius) couldn’t overcome the odds. Dorothy Trogdon couldn’t find a job as an architect.
The following text appeared in our SPOMa: Spokane Modern Architecture, 1948-73 exhibition:
Armed with an undergraduate degree in art history from Wheaton College and a Master of Architecture from Harvard University, Dorothy Trogdon had a bright future and a promising career ahead of her – until she started looking for work. Seattle architecture firms were unimpressed with her Ivy League pedigree, going so far as to suggest that their draftsmen would be distracted by her very presence. Ironic, then, that two of Spokane’s greatest Modern achievements – the Ferris residence and the Washington Water Power Central Service Facility – owe something to her remarkable talent.
She and her husband Bill first settled in Seattle before coming to Spokane, where they would spend the next 30 years and raise three children. Dorothy would go on to have a long and distinguished career as an interior designer.
The exhibition filled 3,500 square feet with architectural achievements, photos, art, furniture, and music from that era. But perhaps the most poignant story of all was found on that simple 12” x 18” narrative panel. Dorothy Trogdon passed away at age 99 on June 25, 2025. Read her obituary here.
