Art

Isaac Scott Hathaway
Gamma Sigma
Isaac S. Hathaway was a pioneering artist and educator. In 1915, he moved from Washington, D.C. to Arkansas to teach ceramics at the Branch Normal College in Pine Bluff, now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Hathaway's talent led him to create busts of renowned figures like Frederick Douglass, capturing his likeness and famous hair. Hathaway opened and chaired the Department of Ceramics at the college and strengthened its arts program for Black students.
In 1945, Hathaway's artistic abilities gained national recognition when he was selected to design two commemorative coins honoring African Americans, becoming the first African American to design a coin for the U.S. Mint. The first coin commemorated Booker T. Washington and was minted from 1946 to 1951. The second coin commemorated George Washington Carver and was minted from 1951 to 1954.
His wife Umer Porter was also an artist, and she created a bust of her husband that is displayed in the Hathaway-Howard Fine Arts Center, named for Isaac S. Hathaway and John M. Howard. The Hathaway-Howard Fine Arts Center continues his legacy by fostering students' artistic talents and development.