The John Lautner Foundation was founded in 1996 to celebrate and maintain the work of one of this century’s most creative American architects. John Lautner, early apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, practiced architecture for more than 55 years, creating buildings that are each a unique solution for a particular site. The foundation has an agreement with Getty Special Collections that allows the Getty to control and maintain the vast archives of his work, with usage guidelines approved by the foundation. The foundation serves as a resource for information about Lautner works and intends to increase active participation in the preservation and maintenance of Lautner buildings.

After Lautner’s death in 1994, Karol Lautner Peterson, Lautner’s oldest daughter, headed up the creation of the foundation as a non-profit institution.