Lilia Sofer Skala was born in Vienna, Austria in 1896. She earned a degree in architecture from the University of Dresden and became the first female member of the Austrian Association of Engineers and Architects, practicing architecture.
Skala became a successful stage and film actress in Europe before fleeing the Nazis with her husband and two sons. Among the personal belongings with which she escaped was her portfolio of student work from the University of Dresden.
Skala immigrated to the United States in 1939 and eventually found success as an actress on Broadway and in television and film. She was nominated for an Academy Award in 1963 for her role as Mother Maria in Lilies of the Field .
Skala passed away in 1994.
From the guide to the Lilia Sofer Skala Student Portfolio, 1915-1928, 2003, n.d., (Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.)
