CIA is proud to share the story of George E. Hooker, Jr., spymaster extraordinaire. Over the course of his decades-long career, Hooker broke many barriers, such as being the first black officer to open an outstation, and the first black officer to serve as a branch chief in the Operations Directorate.
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George Hocker, Black Spymaster: Breaking Down Barrier
The 1950s and ‘60s were a time of great change in the United States. With civil rights coming into focus and the institution of segregation being dismantled, opportunities for black Americans to move into predominantly white sectors increased. Many of these opportunities, however, came with the challenge of being “first,” and for many black Americans, being first also meant being “the only.”
As George E. Hocker, Jr. embarked on his career with CIA, he was very aware of needing to serve as a role model when it was his turn to be “first.” Among his many “firsts,” George has the distinction of being the first black officer to open an overseas station and the first black officer to become a branch chief in the Directorate of Operations (DO).
George was born in 1939 and grew up in Washington, D.C. It was not until 1953 that President Eisenhower desegregated the nation’s capital as a model for other U.S. cities to follow. As the oldest of five children, George was a natural role model. His parents always taught him to respond to prejudice with personal integrity and they emphasized education, telling him, “If you don’t finish high school, the rest (of your siblings) won’t finish high school. If you don’t go to a college, the rest won’t finish college.”
He enrolled at Howard University in 1956, and while attending, his close friend convinced him to apply to the CIA. At 18 years old and with no real work experience, George used his parents’ church friends as references on his application. The Agency came calling, and he entered on duty in 1957 as one of a small number of black officers. CIA
