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Louise Blanchard Bethune was the United States' first female professional architect. Bethune belonged to the influential group of pioneer architects--Daniel Burnham, John Root and Louis Sullivan--who supported her in becoming a fellow in the American Institute of Architects. In the booming industrial city of Buffalo, she preceded Frank Lloyd Wright and Alfred Kahn in factory design and she was the key designer of modern urban public school building, developing standards that we still use today. During her career (1881-1905) Bethune was one of the five most successful architects practicing in Buffalo and the driving force behind New York State's professional organizations for architects. Beyond setting standards for public schools, she was the go-to architect for factories, warehouses, police stations, a Nicola Tesla power transfer station, and the largest luxury hotel of the early 1900s.