Olive Tjaden

Olive Frances Tjaden (; November 24, 1904 – March 15, 1997) was a pioneering woman architect, one of the first female architects of her generation.

Early life and education Born November 24, 1904 in New Utrecht, New York. Her father was John G. Tjaden, a structural engineer.

Tjaden graduated from Jamaica High School at the age of 15. Rejected from Columbia University's architectural program because she was too young, Tjaden waited a year to meet the age requirements for Cornell University's School of Architecture.

Career In 1929, at the age of 24, Tjaden became the youngest registered architect in New York State. In 1938, she became the first woman admitted to the Brooklyn Chapter of the American Institute of Architects She specialized in residential architecture,

On the recommendation of a Cornell dean, Tjaden was hired by a Mineola, New York, architecture firm and began designing “distinctive homes for people of both significant and moderate means.”