In July 17, 1954, Robert P. Madison opened an office for the practice of architecture and engineering in Cleveland, Ohio. This was the first architectural firm established by an African-American in the State of Ohio and the tenth in the entire United States.
Two years later, the young firm distinguished itself by winning Third Prize and Honorable Mention in the  prestigious All Ohio Home Design Competition. The Cleveland Chamber of Commerce selected the Mt. Pleasant Medical Center as one the ten best buildings constructed in Cleveland in 1957.
A decade later, the United States Department of State selected the firm to design the United States Embassy Office Building, the Staff Apartment Building and the Residence for the Deputy Chief of Mission for the city of Dakar, the Republic of Senegal. That same year Tuskegee Institute selected Robert P. Madison  International (RPMI) to design the Engineering and Nuclear Facility for its campus which was the first teaching facility of nuclear fission in the State of Alabama.
During the 1970s, RPMI developed an international staff of professionals in architecture, engineering and planning, and accepted commissions from cities as well as from the governments of Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Bahamas and Nigeria.
In 1982, the United Arab Emirates invited the firm to participate in a closed International Competition for the design of the University of Abu Dhabi and its environs at Al Ain. This project was designed in strict conformance with their customs, mores and social order.
RPMI maintains four major divisions with extensive experience and expertise in Architecture, Urban Design, Engineering and Planning.
During the last decade, RPMI has contributed enormously to the Renaissance of Cleveland by its involvement in the Architecture of the following projects:
The Arena at Gateway, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, The Great Lakes Science Center, the RTA Waterfront Line, the Williard Park Garage, the Cleveland Public Library, the Firemen's Memorial, the Frank J. Lausche State Office Building, the North Coast Harbor, the Cuyahoga County Jail II, the World Trade Center and the Cleveland Browns Football Stadium.
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