France: Marion Tournon Branly

Born in Paris, France, in 1924, Marion Tournon Branly was the first woman admitted as a member to L’Académie d’Architecture (1976). She earned a Diplômé par le Gouvernement (DPLG, 1948) from L’École Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, after becoming one of the first women to enroll at the institution. She was mentored by architect Auguste Perret. After graduation, she practiced architecture and worked in academia. She taught architecture at L’École d’Art Americaines de Fontainbleau located in Fontainbleau, France (starting c. 1960), where she later served as director of the Fine Arts (1975–1989). She was also a visiting professor at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California (starting in 1960), where she established a student exchange program in collaboration with L’École d’Art Americaines de Fontainbleau. Tournon Branly was also the first woman professor at the Unité Pédagogique d’Architecture (UP7) (1968-1975). She died in 2016 in Paris.