McKissack & McKissack is an outgrowth of the oldest minority-owned architecture/engineering firm in the United States.
Its roots go back to before the Civil War, when a slave named Moses McKissack learned the building trade from his overseer. It was his grandson, Moses III, who launched the first McKissack & McKissack in Nashville, Tennessee. The year was 1905.
McKissack & McKissack was founded by Deryl McKissack in 1990. When Ms. McKissack established her company, she was the fifth generation of her family to carry on the building tradition.
1790
Moses McKissack comes to this country as a slave, owned by a prominent contractor who used him as a builder. He passed the trade down through the generations, with his grandsons becoming the first licensed black architects in the Southeastern United States.
1905
Moses III, along with his brother Calvin, launches the first McKissack firm in Nashville, TN. He was the grandson of Moses McKissack, a slave who learned the trade of building from his owner and began a family legacy in the industry.
1942
The McKissack firm is awarded a $5.7 million contract to design and build the 99th Pursuit Squadron Airbase in Tuskegee, AL, the largest federal contract at that time ever given to an African-American firm.
1968
William DeBerry, the youngest son of Moses III, takes the helm as President of the firm. He nurtured the talents of his daughters—Andrea, Cheryl and Deryl—who all excelled in the fields of architecture and engineering.
1975
Upon retirement, William DeBerry’s wife, Leatrice, assumes the position of Chief Executive Officer of the McKissack firm.
1990
As an outgrowth of the McKissack firm founded in Nashville, TN, Deryl McKissack starts her own company—McKissack & McKissack—in Washington, DC as a sole entrepreneur working with very limited financial resources.
1996
McKissack & McKissack is awarded its largest contract to-date, initially overseeing fire recovery efforts at the Main U.S. Treasury Building and later providing program management services for the renovation of the entire 500,000 SF building.
2002
Deryl McKissack expands the organization into the Chicago region, ultimately working on large programs for the Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Housing Authority and O’Hare Modernization Program.
2002
McKissack & McKissack makes its debut in Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 100 “Construction Management-For-Fee Firms” at #91.
2008
McKissack & McKissack enters the west coast with its new office in the Los Angeles marketplace, with clients such as the LA Metropolitan Transportation Authority, LA World Airports and LA Unified School District.
2009
For the first time, McKissack & McKissack is ranked in the Top 50 “Program Management Firms” for Engineering News-Record (ENR) coming in at #49.
2010
McKissack & McKissack celebrates its 20th anniversary since its founding in 1990.
2011
MLK Memorial opens on National Mall. McKissack & McKissack provides project management services and is named Architect of Record for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall.
2012
McKissack & McKissack launches its initiative to become a best-in-class firm, building on its strong reputation for consistently delivering results on time sensitive, complex and high profile projects for both government and private sector clients.
2015
McKissack & McKissack ranked in Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 50 and Top 100. McKissack ranks #35 in Top 50 “Program Management Firms” and #55 in Top 100 “Construction Management -For-Fee Firms.” McMillan Stormwater Storage named Best Water/Environment Project for ENR MidAtlantic.
2015
McKissack & McKissack moves down south into the Dallas region providing program management and commissioning services to clients such as Texas A&M University and the Texas Facilities Commission.
2016
Opening of landmark National Museum. McKissack & McKissack serves as the project management company selected by the Smithsonian to coordinate design and construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall.
2017
McKissack & McKissack expands nationally while expanding its private client base. The firm becomes a national firm with offices in Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, Austin, TX, and Dallas, TX. 50% of McKissack’s clients are now come from the private sector.
2016
ENR ranks McKissack & McKissack in Top 100. The company achieves #54 ranking in the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 100 “Construction Management-For-Fee Firms” list. DC Water Blue Plains Tunnel named ENR MidAtlantic's Best Project of the Year.
2016
ENR ranks McKissack & McKissack in Top 100. The company achieves #54 ranking in the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 100 “Construction Management-For-Fee Firms” list. DC Water Blue Plains Tunnel named ENR MidAtlantic's Best Project of the Year.
1941
The firm expands outside Tennessee. The firm received licenses from Alabama in 1941 and from Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Mississippi in 1943. Tennessee authorities called McKissack and McKissack "...somewhat unique in the fact that it is one of the few Negro architectural firms in the country" and had "done some creditable work in Nashville."
1942
The McKissack firm is awarded a $5.7 million contract to design and build the 99th Pursuit Squadron Airbase in Tuskegee, AL, the largest federal contract at that time ever given to an African-American firm.
1968
William DeBerry, the youngest son of Moses III, takes the helm as President of the firm. He nurtured the talents of his daughters—Andrea, Cheryl and Deryl—who all excelled in the fields of architecture and engineering.