Posthumous Architecture Degree Awarded to Lin Huiyin

The Weitzman School of Design of the University of Pennsylvania awarded a posthumous Bachelor of Architecture degree on May 18 to Lin Huiyin, a revered Chinese architect, poet, historian and preservationist who died in 1955.

Lin's granddaughter, Yu Kui, received the degree on her behalf a century later.  

In 1924, Lin enrolled in architecture courses at the University of Pennsylvania. At that time, the university's architecture program rejected her application because it did not admit female students until 1934. Lin had to study in the only department that accepted female students - the School of Fine Arts. In addition to art courses, Lin completed most of the required architecture courses in just two-and-a-half years.

After returning to China, she became the first female Chinese architect in modern times, going on to make great achievements in the fields of architectural history, architectural design and architectural education. She and her husband Liang Sicheng were frequent collaborators and strong advocates of preserving old buildings. The pair designed the Monument to the People’s Heroes in Tiananmen Square.