Hilyard Robinson

Hilyard Robert Robinson (December 3, 1899 – July 2, 1986) was an American architect, teacher, and engineer. He was a prominent early Black architect in the United States, and influenced a generation of students.

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Robinson graduated from M Street High School in 1916, part of its last class. He enlisted in the 167th Brigade of the Army's Field Artillery Branch, where he toured Europe during World War One. Returning home, Robinson graduated from Columbia University in 1924 with a degree in architecture, later obtaining a master's from the same university. He went on to design several pieces, including the Langston Terrace Dwellings from 1935 to 1938. According to one historian, Robinson's "enduring contribution is a significant body of architecture that conveys his distinctly rational and human interpretation of Modernism". He died at Howard University Medical Center in 1986.