Dr. Delon Hampton is a true example of excellence in action. Long before there was a National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE); before there were any Minority Engineering Programs, there was a student from Chicago, Illinois, that decided to go to college. He received his M.S. in Civil Engineering, in 1958, from the University of Illinois; his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, in 1961, from Purdue University; and an Honorary Doctorate also from Purdue. He was later selected as a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus (DEA) and Old Master by Purdue University. He was a recipient of the Civil Engineering Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumnus Award of the University of Illinois, the Edmund Friedman Professional Recognition Award and the James Laurie Prize both given by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

He served the student population as a Professor at Howard University. Actively involved in university teaching and research for approximately 25 years, he has published over 40 papers in professional and technical journals. Dr. Hampton has also served as an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University (KSU) in its civil engineering department. Also, while on leave from Kansas State University he served as Head of soil mechanics research at the University of New Mexico's Eric H. Wang Civil Engineering Research Facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Upon leaving KSU, he took a position as senior Research Engineer IIT Research Institute located in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Hampton then became Managing Partner in a firm named Gnaedinger, Baker, Hampton, and Associates, which was devoted to providing geotechnical engineering services in the Washington, D.C. area.

Dr. Hampton didn't stop there. He put his well-earned knowledge to the test and laid the foundation for a thriving consulting engineering, design, and construction business, Delon Hampton and Associates (DHA). DHA has grown and now has offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Los Angeles, California; Champaign Urbana, Illinois; Baltimore, Maryland; Silver Spring, Maryland; Memphis, Tennessee; and headquarters in Washington, D.C. January 2006 marked the 33-year anniversary of this multi-million-dollar corporation and is one of the top 360 design firms in America.

Dr. Hampton served as the first African-American President of the ASCE from 1999-2000. In addition to his active role with the ASCE, Dr. Hampton has also been involved as a Business Member of the Board of Governors of the American Public Transit Association (APTA). He serves as first vice chair of the Business Member Board of Governors (BMBG) and became chair of the BMBG at the conclusion of its annual meeting in September 2006. His other involvements include serving on the Board of Directors for the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and as a Malcolm Baldrige Award Overseer for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Although he is no longer active with the Center for National Policy, during his tenure he served as Treasurer and Director. Dr. Hampton's honors include being a Councilor of the National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Hampton was quoted as saying, "The most important aspect of my National Academy of Engineering affiliation is election to membership. That is an honor very few engineers receive. My election to position of councilor, i.e. membership on the governing board was like frosting on the cake."

The example that Dr. Hampton has set for all of us speaks for itself. Against all odds, he stands as a living testimony to what is attainable to the man or woman that will dare to strive for excellence. We offer this small token of acknowledgement to Dr. Hampton and the many others that are our true examples of what is possible. We are proud to know that individuals like Dr. Hampton walked on the same campus and sat in some of the same classrooms that we find ourselves in today. Their legacy is a reminder that we have no excuse to fail.