After 38 years of teaching, one of AACC’s first black professors retired on July 1.

President Dawn Lindsay said history professor Lester Brooks was a leader in diversity.

“He certainly helped me understand the campus community,” Lindsay said. “His students loved him. He was a pleasure to have as a colleague. He was a very gentle soul, very smart, very strategic and very committed. He showed that commitment through his education and his classroom, and the experiences that he gave our students.”

A second long-term professor retired on July 1 after 51 years at AACC.

Jagmohan Kapoor, who taught math, told Campus Current that in his years of teaching, he focused on developing his students’ character and analytical thinking.

“I thought that the story of my life could be inspirational or motivational to some, especially the disadvantaged ones,” Kapoor said.

Lindsay said Kapoor “gave 110% to our college while [he was] here, and we benefited from [his] work and [his] commitment.”