03/12/2026
In 1940, Hampton University made history by launching the first architecture program at an HBCU
When Hampton established its Department of Architecture in 1940, African Americans represented less than 1% of all licensed architects in the United States. Most predominantly white institutions either explicitly or implicitly barred Black students from their architecture programs
The program was spearheaded by visionary educator and architect Robert R. Taylor, the first Black graduate of MIT and the first professionally trained Black architect in the U.S. While Taylor passed in 1942, just two years after the program’s founding, his educational philosophy of design excellence rooted in service to the Black community shaped the department’s direction
Hampton’s architecture program is fully NAAB-accredited, meaning its graduates can go on to become licensed architects
Some notable Hampton architecture Grads include Harold Williams, known for leading major civic projects in Los Angeles, William Henry Moses Jr., long-time department chair and author of influential architecture texts, and Victor F. Johnson, co-designer of several HBCU campus plans
Even today, only about 2% of licensed architects in the U.S. are Black, and even fewer are Black women. Programs like Hampton’s serve as critical pipelines into a profession where space, form, and structure often reflect systemic inequality
