By Rachel Spears — Political Editor

(1917-2019)

Ieoh Ming Pei was a Chinese-American architect who designed the Louvre Museum in Paris, the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, and much more. Raised in Shanghai, Pei discovered his passion for architecture at a young age. He studied at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is well known for his designs all over the world. Pei often combined traditional architecture with geometric shapes to create his own unique style. “Architecture is the very mirror of life. You only have to cast your eyes on buildings to feel the presence of the past, the spirit of a place; they are the reflection of society,” he said. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Goerge H. W. Bush in 1992, Pei was the recipient of more than 12 international awards during his lifetime. He passed away at age 102 in 2019.