Black History Month – Olivia Juliette Hooker
Born February 12, 1915, Olivia Juliette Hooker was one of five children raised in Oklahoma where at the tender age of six, Olivia and her family experienced prejudice and hostility firsthand when angry mobs stormed and ransacked their home during the Tulsa race massacre—known to this day as one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American history. Fortunately, Oliva and her siblings were able to take refuge under a table shrouded by a tablecloth—bravely holding back their terror and tears—until their assailants were gone.
Despite early trials like the violent attack on her family and home, Olivia’s resolve to change her circumstances, along with others facing similar trials, inspired her to focus on education—receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Ohio State University at the age of 25 and, soon after, entering the workforce as an elementary school teacher and investing much of her time and training assisting students with developmental and learning challenges.
After a bill was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1942, during the World War II era, establishing the United States Coast Guard Women’s Reserve/SPARS (Based on Coast Guard’s Motto: “Semper Paratus/Always Ready”) Oliva set a new course in life as one of the first African-American female enlistees in the Coast Guard where she earned the rank of petty officer 2nd class and later received the coveted Good Conduct Award.
After concluding her military service in 1946 when the SPARS program was decommissioned, Olivia furthered her education earning her master’s degree in Psychological Services in 1947, followed by a PhD in Clinical Psychology in 1961. Olivia continued her distinguished careers as a clinical psychologist, senior research scientist, and university professor and lecturer until her retirement at the age of 82.
In 2015, Dr. Olvia Hooker was honored by President Barack Obama at a United States Coast Guard Academy commencement ceremony as the 100-year-old sat in the front row with surrounding cadets intently listening to the President summarize her life-long and trailblazing achievements—proclaiming her “an inspiration,” and sharing an earlier quote from Olivia documented during a media interview: “It’s not about you, or me. It’s about what we can give to this world.”
On November 21, 2018, Olivia Juliette Hooker passed away in her White Plains, New York, home at the remarkable age of 103. Olivia’s milestone achievements over the span of more than a century—including her history-making service in the United States Coast Guard—are shining examples of one woman’s willingness and resolve to navigate deep and, at times, turbulent waters to reach her desired destination: Helping create a better world for herself and fellow humankind.
Photo credit: Public domain
Olivia Hooker (front) with Aileen Anita Cooks (behind) on the USS Commodore
