Martin Ray Young, Jr. - Design and the Arts Library Collections

1916–1999

Martin Ray Young, Jr. was the first architect in Mesa, Arizona, establishing his practice in 1948, and designing over 1600 projects in a career that spanned more than 50 years. A graduate of Brigham Young University, Young designed churches, residences, schools, and commercial buildings, mostly in Arizona but also in New Mexico, California, Utah, Colorado , and elsewhere. Some of his prominent projects in the Phoenix area include the First United Methodist Church (Mesa), Paradise Valley Apostolic Church, Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church (Tempe), and Mesa Historical Society Museum. He was the founding president of the Rio Salado Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and a recipient of the prestigious Kachina Award from the Arizona College of Fellows of AIA. The collection includes over 15,000 preliminary sketches and working drawings as well as job files, project specifications, and photographs. Martin Ray Young, Jr. died in February 1999. The collection is a gift from the Young Family.

Rendering of First National Bank of Arizona (Mesa Branch) by Martin Ray Young Jr.
First National Bank of Arizona, Mesa Branch

Click here to view the box inventory (pdf),  drawings inventory (pdf),  job list (pdf), and job index (pdf)