Maya Lin Maya Lin won the design competition for the <a href="http://mallhistory.org/items/show/63">Vietnam Veterans Memorial</a> in 1981. She was an undergraduate student majoring in architecture at Yale University when her design was chosen from nearly 1,500 entries. She proposed an abstract design in the shape of an open V, meant to look like a healing wound. Known as "the Wall," the Memorial was not liked by some members of Congress who expected a more traditional monument that looked like others present on the Mall. Lin defended her design before Congress, and visitors and veterans eventually embraced this design. <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=39&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=Maya+Lin">Maya Lin</a> Wikimedia Commons. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maya_Lin_1.JPG">View original image</a>. <a href="/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=38&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=1980-1999">1980-1999</a>