William Augustus Hazel (1854–1929) was an American architect, stained glass artist, educator, academic administrator, and civil rights activist.
[2] He is considered an important figure in the architectural history of the Twin Cities in Minnesota;[3] and was one of the first Black stained glass artists in the United States.
[1] His father Benjamin Gilette Hazel worked as a carpenter and wheelright, and his mother Margaret Ann Kellogg took care of their home and children.
[1] In January 1887, Hazel arrived in Saint Paul, Minnesota as a salesman for Tiffany and Company of New York, which caused a local stir because was uncommon to see Black artists and designers in that city during that time period.
[1] Saint Peter's African Methodist Episcopal Church in Springfield, Illinois hired Hazel to design 34 stained glass windows and contained images of Abraham Lincoln, John Brown, Elijah P. Lovejoy, and the "Grand Army" featuring a bust of General Ulysses S. Grant; unfortunately this church experienced a fire in 1903 and none of the windows survived.
[1] In 1897, he won a silver medal in decorative arts at the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition in Nashville, for his drawings and stained glass window depicting Jesus Christ.
[1] In 1924, Hazel moved to 1724 Christian Street in south Philadelphia, living only two blocks from Black architect Julian Francis Abele.