Name: Elizabeth Kimball Nedved
Date of Birth / Location: October 26, 1897 / Chicago, Illinois
Date of Death / Location: April 8th, 1969
Education: Studied interior decorating at the Church School of Art in Chicago, 1916-1918; Northwestern University, c.1920; University of Illinois, 1921-1922; Armour Institute, 1922-1925. She earned her architectural degree in 1925 from the Armour Institute. She received her architectural license in 1928.
Firms and Partnerships In 1926, Elizabeth and her husband Rudolph James Nedved opened their own architectural office, seemingly devoted to residential architecture. The firm was known as Kimball and Nedved Architects. In 1928, the Nedved partnered with architects John Hamilton and William Fellows forming the firm Hamilton, Fellows, and Nedved. Elizabeth was considered the silent partner. It is unclear how actively Elizabeth worked after WWII, but she did request readmittance to the AIA in the early 1960s, at which time she was readmitted. Elizabeth also worked as an interior decorator for Marshall Field & Co, as well as a draftsman for architects Tallmadge & Watson.
Professional Organizations & Activities: One of the first women graduates from Armour Institute (now IIT). In 1927, Elizabeth was admitted as the first women member of the American Institute of Architects. Nedved was one of only 30 women AIA members until 1940.Elizabeth and her colleagues Juliette Peddle and Catherine Heller created an exhibit that modeled a nursery and a kitchen for the 1927 Women's World Fair held in Chicago. Thier efforts inspired the formation of the Women's Architectural Club of Chicago in the same year. in 1931, Elizabeth was elected the President of the Women's Architectural Club. In 1932, she was elected vice preseident of the same club.