Alison King planned to be a high school art teacher, but academia's loss is Midcentury Modern architecture's gain. King is the queen of all things built in the Valley before 1980 or so; since 2004, she has documented mid-20th-century buildings and building trends on her Modern Phoenix: The Neighborhood Network site. King grew up in Scottsdale and attended Saguaro High School, where she met her husband, Matthew. The pair went on to create and host an annual Modern Phoenix Week, with tours, talks, and public events aimed at design professionals and midcentury enthusiasts. She's documented modernist influences and helped revive the reputation of architect Ralph Haver, whose distinctive 1950s tract homes lately have become so sought after. King has made a name for herself among the best Phoenix historians.