Addison Mizner (1872-1933) was a resort architect born in Benicia, California. Mizner did not have formal traning. As a child he traveled around the world with his father, who was the United States minister to Guatemala. Mizner began his architectural career in San Francisco and later worked in New York City. At age 46 he moved to Palm Beach for his health, and his Spanish Revival architecture won the attention of wealthy clients.

When Mizner moved to Florida, Boca Raton was a tiny, unincorporated town. Mizner aspired to transform it into a luxurious resort community. In 1925, he started Mizner Development Corporation and purchased more than 1,500 acres (6 km²), including two miles (3 km) of beach. He mailed out out promotional material that boasted a 1,000-room hotel, golf courses, parks and a street wide enough to fit 20 lanes of traffic. Mizner's example was followed by other developers and eventually Boca Raton became all that he envisioned. He ended up bankrupt years later and died in 1933 of a heart attack.