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Colonel
Joseph Monroe
Permanent Professor 1979–1987
B.S., North Carolina A&T State University
M.S., Texas A&M University
Ph.D., Texas A&M University
Joe Monroe, the Academy’s 35th Permanent Professor, was born in Rowland, North Carolina, in 1936. Following high school, he enlisted in the Air Force in 1954 and served in Africa and Turkey for three years. His performance as an airman earned him an Air Force ROTC scholarship at North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, where he earned his Baccalaureate degree in Mathematics, English, and French in 1962. During his senior year he was the AFROTC Cadet Commander. As a second lieutenant, Joe was assigned to Sheppard AFB, TX, and began his career-long work in data automation. From 1964 to 1966 at Lowry AFB, CO, he provided computer programming support to the Air Intelligence Training Center and was selected for AF-sponsored graduate work at Texas A&M University. He earned his Master’s degree in Computer Science from Texas A&M in 1967 and came to the Academy as an Instructor in the Department of Astronautics and Computer Science. He had a one-year deployment, 1969–1970, as Director of Data Automation at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, before returning to Texas A&M for his PhD, which he was awarded in 1972. Joe Monroe was the first African-American to earn a PhD in Computer Science in the United States. Upon graduation, he rejoined the Academy faculty. In 1979 he was appointed Permanent Professor, as a lieutenant colonel, serving as Assistant to the Dean of the Faculty. In 1981 Joe was promoted to colonel and made Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering. A year later in 1982 he was named Head of the newly formed Department of Computer Science. He made important contributions to computer software systems for Air Force personnel, logistics, and intelligence data systems. Joe Monroe retired in 1987.
In 1988 Joe accepted a faculty position at Fayetteville State University, North Carolina. In 1991 he returned to North Carolina A&T State University, where he was later named the Ronald E. McNair Endowed Professor and Chair of Computer Science. He was appointed Dean of the College of Engineering at North Carolina A&T in 2000 and retired from this position in 2009.