On July 9, 1949, construction began on the headquarters for the Universal Life Insurance building on what is now the corner of Danny Thomas Blvd and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. in Memphis. The Universal Life Building would rise as a modern marvel of commerce, community and uplift, and a testament to the might of African-American businesses in the still heavily-segregated South. The hallways of the Universal Life Insurance building would echo through the latter half of the 20th century with the footsteps of some of the most significant figures of Memphis history, through some of the city’s most significant times. Footsteps still echo down those hallways, now home to the architecture firm, Self+Tucker Architects, who have revitalized and reimagined the space for a new age.