John Gaw Meem, who became Hooker’s mentor, was UNM’s preferred consulting architect, designing nearly all of some 30 campus buildings in the Pueblo Revival style between 1933 and 1957.

[3] Hooker designed few of these buildings himself; his role was oversight and management of the campus development, during a period of great expansion of both curriculum and enrolment.

He assembled teams of architects and engineers for this purpose, and was greatly involved in the landscaping, pedestrianization and traffic management of the spaces between buildings, on a main campus which was hemmed in by the surrounding city.

He was also a talented watercolor artist and photographer; his paintings and images reflected his great affection for New Mexico.

[1] Hooker received awards not only from architecture societies, but also from the City of Albuquerque, a conservation association, and the University of New Mexico:[4]