February 8, 2023
Today we honor Howard P. Grant, the first African-American graduate of the University of California Berkeley College of Engineering where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1948. In that same year, he became the first African-American member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). After graduating, he went on to become the first African-American engineer for the city and county of San Francisco and the second African-American engineer to be licensed by the state of California. Grant was also the founder and president of the Northern California Council of Black Professional Engineers, an organization that strived to introduce the field of engineering to African-American youth. Howard Grant was not only known as a respected civil engineer, but also hailed as an “inspiration and mentor” to minorities throughout California and the entire country.
