After making
Berkeley history as the first black student to graduate from the
College of Engineering, Howard P. Grant made his mark not only as
a respected civil engineer but as an inspiration and mentor to minorities
throughout California and the entire country. The College of Engineering
is proud to celebrate the life of this esteemed graduate during
Black History Month.
Born in Houston in 1925, Grant's family moved to Los Angeles
when he was a young boy. He began his engineering studies at the
University of California Los Angeles but transferred to UC Berkeley
two years later. After serving in the Air Force, Grant earned
his degree from Berkeley and became the first African-American
civil engineer for the City and County of San Francisco, where
he worked in the Water Department until 1984.
Grant also broke down racial barriers as the first known black
member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, past president
and treasurer of the California Society of Professional Engineers,
and the second African-American civil engineer to be licensed
by the state. In 1970, at the request of his friend and colleague
Frederick E. Jordan, Grant hosted the first meeting of Northern
California's black engineers at his home. Of the 19 engineers
Jordan identified in the region, 17 attended. The group evolved
into today's 300-strong Northern California Council of Black Professional
Engineers, an organization devoted to encouraging African American
youth to consider careers in engineering. Grant served as the
Council's president from 1971 to 1973.
His leadership also reached underrepresented groups as a founding
member of the Engineering Societies Committee for Manpower Training
and his position as a board member for Big Brothers, Hunter's
Point Boy's Club, and the San Francisco Urban League's scholarship
committee.
The legacy of this engineering icon is summed up in these words
by Frederick Jordan written shortly after Grant's death in 1997:
"Howard Grant was a life success despite the odds, with a passion
for doing what he could for his community."
Northern California
Council of Black Professional Engineers
NCCBPE
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