Roberta Dickinson

Roberta Dickinson was a Quaker activist, architect, and artist.

Roberta Dickinson (1916-1982) was born in Richmond, Indiana, but spent the majority of her life in California, receiving a B.Arch. degree from the University of Southern California in 1942. She wrote in her archived papers, "I have [studied ] with frank lloyd wright at taliesin east and work[ed ] as a consultant with louis i. kahn."

While living in California she was a member of Los Angeles Monthly Meeting, became a conscientious objector and did Civilian Public Service during WWII. In 1969 she moved to Philadelphia, marrying Meg Dickinson. Roberta was a member of Powelton Preparative Meeting in Philadelphia and transferred her membership to Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting in 1972. She supported the peace testimony through organized war tax resistance and participated in Quaker protest vigils and other nonviolent actions, for which she was arrested in 1971 and 1972.

Although she moved to Philadelphia to follow her architectural career, she gradually turned her attention to watercolor painting, which she taught at Drexel University. In 1976 Roberta completed gender affirmation surgery and legally changed her name in 1977. In one biographical statement (held in her papers), she wrote: "since moving to philadelphia...i have concentrated on watercolor landscapes and landscape drawing. paralleling this interest has been continuing from the nude." "As a painter I am recording the changes in my own body from male to female."

This biography was compiled from various sources with the help of the John Anderies, Director of the William Way LGBT Community Center.

The Photograph of Roberta Dickinson is from the Permanent Art Collection, John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives, William Way LGBT Community Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Biography Date: December 2025

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