2017 Career Achievement Award Honoree

William Garrison McNeil graduated with the Bachelor or Architecture Degree at the City College of New York in 1965 and a Master of Science in Urban Design at Columbia University in 1969. While a student at Columbia University he was a recipient of the William Kinne Fellows Traveling Scholarship. After graduation, he joined the adjunct faculty at Columbia University, where he taught for 3 years. During that time he had the opportunity to teach with J. Max Bond Jr. and they were able to bring 30 architecture students to Ghana through the William Kinne Traveling Scholarship for a month, which would be the first time this scholarship was used to fund architecture student travel to Africa. 

He joined the Architecture Faculty at the City College of New York in 1972, and his tenure at CCNY lasted over 40 years, amongst which he taught design studios, architectural management, various electives, served as Chair, as well as Thesis Coordinator.  A registered Architect in NYS, he has also run his own Harlem based Architectural Practice for over 40 years. Projects which he has worked on include The Apollo Theater, The Promise School at Harlem Children’s Zone, Carmine Street Recreation Center, New York City Parks Department, Jackie Robinson Recreation Center at the Harlem YMCA. In addition to being a Firm Owner and a Professor, he has also served as the New York City Planning Commissioner, as a Member of the New York State Board of Architecture and as a Member Community Board 9 in Harlem.