Noel Phyllis Birkby (December 6, 1932 – April 13, 1994) was an American architect, feminist, filmmaker, teacher, and founder of the Women's School of Planning and Architecture. Early life and education Noel Phyllis Birkby was born in Nutley, New Jersey to Harold S. and Alice Green Birkby. As a child, she made drawings of cities and towns, and miniature three-dimensional environments in her mother's garden. An early fascination with architecture led her at age 16-years to express interest in the profession to a career counselor who would tell her the profession was inaccessible to her, despite her aptitude: "Well, Miss Birkby, it appears that if you were a man, you should be studying architecture." In 1950, Ms. Birkby entered Women's College of the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, North Carolina to study fine art, and she was an active participated in peer advisory and extracurricular activities, such as Canterbury club and Art club. She was considered a rabble rouser. In 1954, she was expelled in her senior year after an incident that purportedly involved drinking beer. Ms. Birkby later attributed the outcome to her public expression of love for a classmate. "I wasn't hiding my love for another woman," she explained, "... didn't think there was anything wrong with it." After Ms. Birkby returned to her family home in New Jersey for a brief period of time, she moved to New York City. In Manhattan, Ms. Birkby worked as a technical illustrator. In 1955, she traveled to Mexico with American Friends Service Committee to work on development projects with the Otomi people. A year later back in New York, a woman architect encouraged Ms. Birkby to pursue professional education and training. In 1959, Ms. Birkby enrolled in the undergraduate architecture night school program Cooper Union School of Architecture, and she worked by day at the offices of architect Henry L. Horowitz, from 1960 to 1961, and Seth Hiller, from 1961 to 1963. In 1963, Ms. Birkby earned a Certificate in Architecture from Cooper Union, and she was awarded the Service to the School Awards by the Cooper Union Alumni Association for having demonstrated exemplary service and leadership during her time as student. Professional career Ms. Birkby enrolled in graduate school at Yale School of Architecture, and studied under the deanships of Paul Rudolph (chairman 1958–65), and Charles W. Moore (chairman 1965–1970), two renowned educators and leaders architect of the