BENJAMIN HOOKS
CLASS OF 1948
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NAACP (1977-1992)
Benjamin L. Hooks spent his life fighting for racial equality in a variety of roles. After graduating from DePaul’s College of Law, he went on to have an impressive career serving as the executive director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He was the first African American appointed to the Federal Communications Commission and was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush.