Hastie, William Henry (1904-1976), was the first African American to become a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals. He was appointed in 1949 by President Harry S. Truman and served from 1950 until he retired in 1971. From 1937 to 1957, Hastie served on the board of directors of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He was dean of the Howard University School of Law from 1939 to 1946. From 1946 to 1949, he served as governor of the Virgin Islands. Hastie was awarded the Spingarn Medal in 1943. He was born on Nov. 17, 1904, in Knoxville, Tennessee. He died on April 14, 1976.
