Two Esteemed Rensselaer Graduates

Garnet Baltimore and W. Lincoln Hawkins

[Reprinted from Issues & Views Fall 1992]

In our Spring 1992 edition, dedicated to the renowned Tuskegee Institute and the life work of Booker T. Washington, we show that, as early as the 18th century, wherever black men found themselves hemmed in by social and economic restrictions, thousands found legitimate ways to prosper, thereby sustaining their families and uplifting the community.

Many decades before affirmative action policies and "race-norming" of grades, when American blacks were expected to measure up to the same academic standards required of others, they excelled as chemists, biologists and engineers. Over the years, thousands achieved as scholars and professionals; in the mid-1930s, there were at least 300 black chemists employed in private industry in the United States.

Two distinguished graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, are Garnet D. Baltimore, an alumnus of the Class of 1881, and W. Lincoln Hawkins of the Class of 1932. Over their long, successful careers, both men were honored for their commitment and work. This year, however, was a special one for Hawkins, who, just months before dying in August at age 81, was feted at the White House in special ceremonies, where he was awarded the National Medal of Technology.

Baltimore, who was a native son of Troy (born there in 1859), entered Rensselaer to study engineering. On graduation, he first went to work as a civil engineer, and participated in the design and building of bridges, railroads, canals and waterways around New York State.

He is best known, however, for his gift that is seen and enjoyed daily by Troy's residents, that is, Prospect Park, billed as "84 acres of elegant nature. When private land was bought by the city, Baltimore was hired to conceive and design a park that could be enjoyed for leisure activities by all Troy's residents. He created a circular landscape with "winding roads and walks," gardens, a playground, a tennis court, pool, and an overlook which offered a breathtaking 25-mile view of the Hudson Valley.

Of all his duties and assignments, Baltimore loved his work as a landscape engineer, since it satisfied his highly developed sense of beauty. In 1903, he wrote, "[I am] firmly convinced that it is the calling and duty of the Landscape Engineer to devise ways of arranging land and its accompanying landscape so that whatever the particular purpose in view may be, the result shall be as thoroughly beautiful as possible."

Marianne Briggs, a current resident of Troy, referring to her research on Baltimore's life, claims that evidence "seem to align him with Booker T. Washington, a close contemporary, who preached the virtues of education, thrift and good manners."

Rensselaer honors Baltimore each year with the Garnet D. Baltimore Lecture Series. Records show different dates for his death, but it is certain that he died in the mid-1940s around the age of 87.

In 1928, W. Lincoln Hawkins, who had just graduated from the acclaimed all-black Dunbar High School in Washington, DC, passed the demanding entrance exam at Rensselaer and enrolled in his first year. It was the beginning of what was to be an extraordinary career that was to span 34 years as a scientist at AT&T's Bell Laboratories, where he was granted 145 U.S. and foreign patents for his inventions.

Hawkins is respected most for his work on a polymer that was initially developed for use as synthetic rubber. Up to World War II, telephone cables had been insulated with lead, which proved impractical for a variety of reasons. British scientists developed a polymer which seemed practical, because it could be manufactured so cheaply. However, this material proved useless, since it would break down in severe hot or cold weather and, therefore, made for poor cable insulation.

After experiments, Hawkins decided that the polymer did possess all the right qualities, but simply lacked "stability." He and his partner, Victor Lanza, set out to resolve the problem. His co-invention, which prevented the breakdown or oxidation of the polymer earned him wide recognition as an eminent scientist. For it is this ingenious discovery that made inexpensive plastic insulation of telephone cables possible and, most important, made universal telephone service economical.

In 1963, Hawkins became Bell Labs' Supervisor of Applied Research and in 1972, he became department head. Over the years, Hawkins was honored by all the many professional associations to which he belonged. One account claims that he "won enough awards and honorary degrees to fill a memorial library." He published over 50 scientific papers and three books.

After mandatory retirement from Bell Labs in 1976, he energetically continued working in his field. He taught at New York's Polytechnic Institute, acted as technical consultant to chemical and pharmaceutical companies around the country, and was research director of the Plastics Institute of America.

He is revered for his lifelong dedication to helping black youngsters develop science skills and for his work with educators to expand science programs at black colleges. Hawkins credited much of his success to the strict academic demands of his teachers at Dunbar High School, which today would be scorned for being "segregated," but at the time, measured up to other institutions as one of the finest schools in the country. In an interview this year, Hawkins made reference to American blacks' recognition in sports and entertainment, claiming that "Youngsters need more than that." Through his generous service and dedication, Lincoln Hawkins gave them much more than that.

Copyright 1992 Issues & Views