Cooke, William Wilson
1871-1949 · Contribution: 1929
First African American to obtain an architect's license in Indiana (1929); among the first African Americans employed in the U.S. Treasury's Office of the Supervising Architect

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Impact on the world
Became the first African American licensed architect in Indiana in 1929, while also serving as the first Black employee at the federal Office of the Supervising Architect for the U.S. Treasury.
Life & background
An architect, Cooke became the first African American to obtain an architect's license in the state of Indiana in 1929, and also held the distinction of being the first African American employee at the Office of the Supervising Architect for the U.S. Treasury.
Sources
- Wilson, *African American Architects* (2004); U.S. General Services Administration (GSA); South Carolina Encyclopedia
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