Description
Michael Kenneth Hooker (1945-1999) followed John Dorsey as chancellor of the university in 1986. Hooker looked forward to the challenge UMBC presented as it did not yet have a widely-recognized reputation or competitive status. Although Hooker earned his doctorate in philosophy, he was intrigued by the idea of developing UMBC into a full-fledged research institution. Under his leadership, entrance scores at the university surpassed 1000 and enrollment grew. He also built relationships with the local business community, leading to investments in science and technology research programs. Hooker personally recruited current President Freeman Hrabowski for the position of vice provost from Coppin State University, where Hrabowski was serving as dean and vice president of academic affairs. In 1992, Hooker left UMBC to become president of the five-school University of Massachusetts System.