Olivia Hooker | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Olivia J. Hooker February 12, 1915 Muskogee, Oklahoma |
| Occupation | Professor, psychologist |
| Education |
Ohio State University[1] Teachers College, Columbia University[2] University of Rochester[2] |
Dr. Olivia J. Hooker (born February 1915) was the first African American woman to enter the U.S. Coast Guard, which she did in February 1945.[3][4] She thus became a SPAR (Semper Paratus Always Ready), a member of the United States Coast Guard Women's Reserve, during World War II.[5] She earned the Yeoman, Second Class rank during her service.[6] She served in the Coast Guard until her unit disbanded in mid-1946.[7]
Early life[]
Hooker was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma on February 12, 1915.[8] Ku Klux Klan members ransacked her home during the Tulsa race riot of 1921.[3] Later Hooker was a founder of the Tulsa Race Riot Commission in hopes of demanding reparations for the riot's survivors.[6] She applied to the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) of the U.S. Navy, but was rejected due to her ethnicity.[7]
Education[]
Hooker earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1937 from Ohio State University. She received her Master ten years later in 1947 from the Teachers College of Columbia University. In 1961 she received her PhD in psychology from the University of Rochester.[7]
Psychology career[]
In 1963, she joined Fordham University as a senior clinical lecturer; eventually she became an associate professor.[9]
Later life[]
Hooker retired at age 87.[6] She joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary at age 95.[3]
Awards[]
- American Psychological Association (APA) Presidential Citation (2011)[7]
- Good Conduct Medal [Coast Guard][10]
- New York State Senate Veterans' Hall of Fame (2012)[1]
Legacy[]
On Monday, February 9, 2015, Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand spoke in Congress about Hooker to "pay tribute" to her.[10]
Also in 2015 the Dr. Olivia Hooker Dining Facility on the Staten Island coast guard facility was named in her honor.[3][11] A training facility at the Coast Guard’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. was also named after her that same year.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Stewart-Cousins, Sen. Andrea (2012). "Dr. Olivia J. Hooker - New York State Senate". New York State Senate. http://www.nysenate.gov/story/dr-olivia-j-hooker. Retrieved 18 March 2015.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Young, LT Stephanie (29 October 2013). "Olivia Hooker: A SPAR’s Story". U.S. Coast Guard. http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/10/olivia-hooker-a-spars-story/. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Dr. Olivia Hooker, 1st Black Woman in U.S. Coast Guard, Honored with Training Facility & Dining Hall Dedications". Good Black News. http://goodblacknews.org/2015/03/16/dr-olivia-hooker-1st-black-woman-in-u-s-coast-guard-honored-with-training-facility-dining-hall-dedications/. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
- ↑ http://www.uscg.mil/history/people/HookerOliviaBio.pdf
- ↑ Thiesen, William H.. "SPAR Olivia Hooker: First African American Woman in the Coast Guard". United States Coast Guard: U.S. Department of Homeland Security. https://www.uscg.mil/history/people/HookerOliviaBio.pdf. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Coast Guard Names Training Facility After 1st Black Woman In Service". News One. http://newsone.com/3098904/coast-guard-training-facility-dc-named-after-1st-black-woman-in-service/. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 MacKay, Jenna (2013). Profile of Olivia Hooker. In A. Rutherford (Ed.), Psychology's Feminist Voices Multimedia Internet Archive. Retrieved from http://www.feministvoices.com/olivia-hooker/. Retrieved on 18 March 2015.
- ↑ "Black History Month: Survivor Recalls 1921 Tulsa Race Riot". CBS News. 12 February 2015. http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/02/12/black-history-month-survivor-recalls-1921-tulsa-race-riot/. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ Gay, Mara (2015-02-27). "Olivia J. Hooker: Coast Guard Pioneer, Fordham Professor and Activist". WSJ. http://www.wsj.com/articles/olivia-j-hooker-coast-guard-pioneer-fordham-professor-and-activist-1425089415. Retrieved 2015-03-20.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Congressional Record, Volume 161 Issue 21 (Monday, February 9, 2015)". Gpo.gov. 2015-02-09. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2015-02-09/html/CREC-2015-02-09-pt1-PgS855-2.htm. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
- ↑ "Dr. Olivia Hooker Turns 100 | Juniper Hill Civic Association". Juniperhillny.com. 2015-02-07. http://www.juniperhillny.com/dr-olivia-hooker-turns-100/. Retrieved 2015-03-19.
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