Wing Sam Chinn | |
|---|---|
 Chinn in 1921 | |
| Born | November 16, 1897 |
| Died | December 27, 1974 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Washington |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Years active | 1922–1963 |
Wing Sam Chinn (November 16, 1897 – December 27, 1974) was an American architect, noted as the first Asian-American architecture graduate in Washington state. Born to a Chinese immigrant family in San Francisco, he moved to Seattle at a young age. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in 1922 and began work as a draftsman for architect Andrew Willatsen. From 1927 to 1934, he worked with Thomas, Grainger & Thomas, where he was independently contracted to design the Chong Wa Benevolent Association Building despite lacking an architecture license. He obtained his license in 1935 and designed various residential and commercial buildings, mainly in the Seattle Chinatown. He worked for the Federal Housing Administration from 1939 until his retirement in 1963.