Life Constructed

Delon Hampton was raised on Chicago's South Side, in a working-class Black neighborhood where money was scarce. Early on, he understood that whatever he achieved would depend on his own effort. He earned his way into college, chose civil engineering, and went on to graduate study and a PhD at Purdue University. The profession did not always make room for an African American engineer. In 1973 he founded Delon Hampton & Associates (DHA), a consulting firm in Washington, DC. Over four decades, DHA grew into one of the country's major civil engineering practices, known for transportation and infrastructure work, including Dulles and Reagan National airports and the Atlanta and Los Angeles metro systems, several of which earned awards. Hampton has also pushed for equal opportunity, both through his own example and through his leadership in professional bodies such as the American Society of Civil Engineers. He has argued plainly that engineering firms and professional organizations must make diversity real in their actions, not just their statements. Through his philanthropy, he has backed institutions committed to fair treatment and has mentored minority entrepreneurs. The book lays out a vision for a fairer workplace and for change within engineering. It is also the story of a boy from the wrong side of the tracks who reached for the American dream through persistence, hard work, and close relationships.