THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS' FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN GENERAL:

In 1978, Hugh G. Robinson, a 1954 graduate of West Point, was promoted to brigadier general and became the Corps of Engineers’ first African American general officer. He served as deputy director of Civil Works and in 1980 assumed command of the Southwestern Division, a position he held until his retirement in 1983 as a major general. Robinson’s career was an interesting one. After service in Korea, a master’s degree in civil engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and several Army staff positions in the United States and France, he was appointed in 1965 as military aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Find out more about Hugh Robinson.