JMA (Jack Miller & Associates) was established by Jack Miller (1914-1999) in 1945 and is one of the oldest architectural firms in Las Vegas. Jack Miller came to Las Vegas in 1942 to assist in the design of the Basic Magnesium Plant in Henderson. As one of only a few architects working in Las Vegas after the war, Miller was able to establish a thriving practice designing all types of buildings: schools, residences, commercial and government buildings, hospitals and the original Stardust Hotel.

The Washington University College of Art, located in St. Louis, Missouri, was founded in 1879. In 1878, Wayman Crow, one of the founders of Washington University, sought to dedicate a new museum to his late son, Wayman Crow, Jr. To accompany the museum, the University also created an independent school, creating the St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, the first art school west of the Mississippi River. In 1906, the museum moved to Forest Park and was rededicated as the St. Louis Museum of Fine Arts.