Dr. John Brooks Slaughter, a renowned electrical engineer, has passed away. He was the first African American to be honored as the Black Engineer of the Year.

He had an illustrious career that spanned over 50 years, during which he made significant contributions to the field of engineering, including serving as the first African-American director of the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Slaughter was the chancellor of the University of Maryland and he was the first African American to hold this position. Dr. Slaughter also served as president of Occidental College in Los Angeles.

Later on, he worked as the CEO of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, where he focused on increasing the number of engineers of color.

Dr. Slaughter returned to USC in 2010 as a professor of education and engineering.  In September 2023, USC Viterbi held a naming ceremony for the John Brooks Slaughter Center for Engineering Diversity.