Robert Robinson Taylor
1868 – 1942
Known for: Architecture
The son of a successful carpenter, Robert Robinson Taylor set his sights on MIT’s School of Architecture, the first program of its kind in the world. He became the first Black student to enroll at MIT, and excelled in his courses despite facing prejudice from his classmates.
Upon his graduation in 1892, Taylor made history once again as the first accredited African-American architect. He began a long and successful career in architecture, including designing the campus for Booker T. Washington’s Tuskegee Institute. He eventually took up a position teaching architectural and mechanical drawing at the university, which he continued until his retirement in 1933.
In 1942, he died while attending services in the Tuskegee Chapel, the building that he considered his most outstanding achievement as an architect.
Hattie Scott Peterson
1913 – 1993
Known for: Engineering
As the first Black female engineer and the first woman to join the US Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), Hattie Scott Peterson’s notoriety is hardly equal to her impact.
Peterson earned a BSc in Civil Engineering from Howard University in 1946, and began her career in Sacramento as a survey and cartographic engineer for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Her work involved forecasting floods, designing navigation projects, and researching flood control issues — critical work for the ecologically vulnerable state of California.
Today, her legacy lives on in the “Hattie Peterson Inspirational Award,” bestowed annually by the Sacramento district of the USACE to an individual who exemplifies perseverance through social challenges. Peterson and her husband also left an endowment for scholarships at Howard University after her death.
Conclusion
As a minority-owned business for over 30 years, Outsource Consultants, Inc. is dedicated to an environment where diversity thrives. We currently hold MBEs in the states of New York and New Jersey, as well as the city of New York. We also recently acquired an MBE-certification with the SCA, and we’re excited to expand our already extensive project portfolio. For SCA-related projects, please reach out to Kaela Fanning at kfanning@outsourceconsultants.com.
