Viewpoint
Naomi Hooker Chamberlain
In 1921, 3-year-old Naomi Hooker and her family were targets of the Tulsa race massacre. Her older sister Olivia Hooker '62 PhD is credited as the first African-American woman to enlist and serve in active duty in the Coast Guard. Naomi Hooker Chamberlain is believed to be the first African-American woman on the University of Rochester faculty.
Chamberlain joined the University of Rochester in 1963 as Coordinator of Community Services for the Rehabilitation Center. From 1969 to 1972, she was Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at the School of Medicine and Dentistry and director of the Community Health Unit.
In 1964 Chamberlain was interviewed by Don Lyon for the University's radio program "Viewpoint" on the topic of building accessibility. Her work in coordinating the creation of a survey of hundreds of Rochester buildings would result in a guidebook to aid residents and visitors to Rochester in accessing the city's public venues.