In Memoriam: Lazette Golden Hale-Wilson, 1920-2015

Lazette Hale-Wilson, the former head of the School of Accounting at Utah State University, died on February 5 at the age of 94. According to the Ph.D. Project, she was the first African American women to be licensed as a certified public accountant and also hold a Ph.D. in accounting.

A native of Oklahoma, Hale-Wilson was a summa cum laude graduate of historically Black Langston University. She held a master’s degree in accounting and finance and a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Hale-Wilson taught at Clark College and Langston University before joining the faculty at Utah State University. She served as president of the American Woman’s Society of Certified Public Accountants and was the first African American appointed to the Board of Regents of the Utah System of Higher Education.