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Alumni Awards List

Arlene was born on January 3, 1927, in Gypsum, Kansas. Having always dreamt of becoming an architect, Arlene graduated from Kansas State University in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and then continued her education, receiving a Master's degree in Architecture in 1952. Although not the first woman to graduate from K-State's architecture program, Arlene did become the first woman architect registered in the State of Kansas, holding certification number 104 issued to her in 1957.

After several years of working in small design firms and having to continually prove her design abilities simply because she was a woman, Arlene became a well respected architect, not only within the firm where she worked but throughout the entire design community. Her knowledge and commitment to excellence were unparalleled. Arlene worked twice as hard as her fellow colleagues because she strived to make clients even more pleased with her design concepts than they had originally expected to be.

When it was first introduced, Arlene had little faith in computer design. She believed human needs, desires, and imagination were a much better way to design. Therefore, Arlene was known to carry a little black book everywhere she went. This book was not filled with phone numbers with special notations but with formulas and equations--everything needed to provide immediate answers to complex and confusing design questions. This book was Arlene's bible. If anyone in the office had a question, they knew her book held all the answers. This book, Arlene's bible, came from Kansas State University. It is the same book that today's students are required to complete--the same book that has provided K-State graduates with the foundation for design excellence for over 50 years.

Arlene went on to have a tremendous career working in Texas for the federal government's General Services Administration. She became the 16th woman licensed in the State of Texas, carrying certification number 763. Her most notable work was the design and construction of the Bastrop, Texas, Federal Correctional Institute, a project demanding creative design solutions within an extremely limited budget and a very tight timeline. This project was similar to designing a small city, as it was to contain a hospital, athletic facilities, various detention and holding areas, housing facilities and educational environments. It was the first of its kind in the country and soon became the model for all federal correctional institutions.

Today, many people take for granted that women are found in almost every design firm in the country, but this reality is a direct result of the difficulties that Arlene overcame in her pursuit to do what she loved. She was truly a pioneer. Arlene was not afraid to explore her dreams, conquer barriers built by others, and silently prove that women have a profound impact on the design profession. To fully appreciate the life and career of Arlene Tinkler, we can refer to Ruskin who says, "When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece."

Sadly, Arlene passed away in April of 2002. We posthumously honor the contributions and memory of Arlene Tinkler with this Distinguished Service Award.