Percy Anthony Pierre (born January 3, 1939) is an American

electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

. He was the first African-American Ph.D. in electrical engineering, appointed assistant secretary of the U.S. Army for Research and Development, and appointed acting Secretary of the Army. Pierre was the principal architect of the national minority engineering effort. He currently is vice president emeritus and professor of electrical and computer engineering at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...

Background

Pierre was born on January 3, 1939, to Rosa Villavaso and Percy John Pierre in

Welcome A welcome is a kind of greeting designed to introduce a person to a new place or situation, and to make them feel at ease. The term can similarly be used to describe the feeling of being accepted on the part of the new person. In some contexts ...

, St. James Parish, Louisiana. In 1957, Pierre graduated from

St. Augustine High School The name St. Augustine High School could refer to: In the United States: * St. Augustine Academy (Lakewood, Ohio) * St. Augustine High School (Laredo, Texas) * St. Augustine High School (New Orleans), Louisiana * St. Augustine High School (San Di ...

in New Orleans. He credits the priests at St. Augustine with instilling in him two overriding missions: to excel intellectually in engineering and use his career to make a difference in the lives of other African-Americans.

Education

Pierre earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

in 1967. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

from 1967-68. Pierre attended the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main c ...

on scholarship, earning his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1961 and 1963, respectively, and has been honored at Notre Dame for his distinguished public service.

Career

Pierre's career spans more than four decades and includes tenure as: * Dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences (CEACS) at

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

in Washington, D.C., 1971–77 * Program officer for the

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is an American philanthropic nonprofit organization. It was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan Jr., then-president and chief executive officer of General Motors. The Sloan Foundation makes grants to suppor ...

, 1973–75 * Assistant secretary of the U. S. Army for Research, Development and Acquisition, 1977–81 (the first African-American to hold that position or similar positions in the armed services) * Acting secretary of the U. S. Army, January 1981 * President of

Prairie View A&M University Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU or PV) is a public historically black land-grant university in Prairie View, Texas. Founded in 1876, it is one of Texas's two land-grant universities and the second oldest public institution of higher lear ...

, 1983–89 * Vice president of research and graduate studies at

, 1990–95 * Professor of electrical and computer engineering at

, 1990–present

U.S. Army

As assistant secretary of the U.S. Army, Pierre managed a $12 billion annual budget for research and development that included the completion of the development and initial production of the Abrams tank in 1979 and the Patriot missile system and Apache helicopter in 1980.

National minority engineering effort

In 1973, Pierre co-chaired the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) Symposium, which officially launched the national minority engineering effort. He worked with NAE to implement the recommendations of the symposium. In a parallel effort, Pierre served as the program officer for minority engineering at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. He helped establish numerous minority engineering organizations to increase the financial support and mentoring opportunities available for minority engineering students. These include the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME); National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM); Math, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA); and Southeastern Consortium of Minorities in Engineering (SECME).

National Academy of Engineering

In 2009, Pierre was elected a member of the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of ...

for service as assistant secretary of the Army, contributions to engineering education, and leadership in creating the national minority engineering effort. This is one of the highest professional honors accorded an engineer.Election to the National Academy of Engineering (http://www.nae.edu/MembersSection/directory20412/31092.aspx)

Personal life

Pierre is married to Olga A. Markham. They have two grown daughters, Kristin and Allison Pierre.

References

External links

First African-American Ph.D.

NACME 30th Anniversary Gala 2004

Percy Pierre biography from MSU College of Engineering

Percy A. Pierre, President of Prairie View A&M University

Distinguished Public Service Award from University of Notre Dame

Leadership at College of Engineering, Architecture and Computer Sciences (CEACS), Howard University

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierre, Percy A. 1939 births Living people People from St. James Parish, Louisiana University of Notre Dame alumni Johns Hopkins University alumni Howard University faculty Michigan State University faculty Prairie View A&M University people Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering American electrical engineers University of Michigan fellows United States Department of Defense officials