Greenburgh Public Library Blog

Hidden Treasures From The Local History Room - Dr Olivia J Hooker

Dr. Olivia Hooker was one of my favorite library patrons. When Dr. Hooker came into the Greenburgh Public Library for visits (well into her 90’s) she always wore a genuine gentle smile.  I was thrilled every time I saw her. I only knew of her background a few years ago when the library received a copy of Before They Die:  the story of the survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot and their quest for justice. This gentle kind woman had the courage few of us could even begin to dream of.  When we lost Dr. Hooker, we lost a giant in our community; a woman whose legacy will live on.  

Beloved long time Greenburgh resident Dr. Olivia J. Hooker passed away several weeks ago at the age of 103. Dr. Hooker was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma on February 12, 1915. Shortly after that, her family moved to the Greenwood section of Tulsa, Oklahoma, nicknamed “The Black Wall Street.” During the two day period of May 31st and June 1st 1921 this entire section of Tulsa Oklahoma was destroyed in a two day riot that engulfed the community. Hundreds of innocent African Americans were killed in one of the worst atrocities ever perpetrated in the United States. Olivia and her three siblings hid under a table while Klansmen rampaged through their home destroying everything in the house. Dr. Hooker was the last known survivor of those riots.  

Afterwards, her father moved the family to Topeka, Kansas and then moved back to Tulsa so he could rebuild the family business and Olivia could graduate from high school. The family moved to Columbus, Ohio where Dr. Hooker earned her BA from Ohio State University in 1937.  While at OSU, she became a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.  After being denied entry into Navy she became the first African American woman to serve on active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard where she rose to the rank of Yeoman, second class when her unit was disbanded in 1946. When Dr. Hooker turned 100, the Coast Guard renamed a training facility in her honor. She went on earn a Master’s degree in Psychological Services from Teachers College at Columbia University in 1947 and then her Doctorate from University of Rochester in 1961.

In 1997, at 82 years young, Dr. Hooker helped create the Tulsa Riot Commission which sought restitution for survivors and their families.  I remember Greenburgh Librarians helped her find  research materials on the riots in preparation for testifying before the U. S. Congress. She fought for the survivors of the Tulsa Race Riot to the very end of her extraordinary life.

Dr. Hooker’s story is one of perseverance and success in the face of unimaginable cruelty. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of who we are and what we are capable of being.  I believe Dr. Hooker's legacy is one of love and remembrance. In the coming months I will be interviewing other long time Greenburgh residents to share their stories so that their words can be preserved and remembered, lest we forget.