October 31, 1967 Riley Leroy Pitts, the first African American commissioned officer to receive the Medal of Honor, died. Pitts was born October 15, 1937 in Fallis, Oklahoma. In 1960, he graduated from Wichita State University with a degree in journalism. After being commissioned as an officer in the Army, he was sent to Vietnam […]
Archive | October RSS feed for this section
October 30th in African American History – Frank L. Mingo
October 30, 1989 Frank L. Mingo, advertising executive, died. Mingo was born December 13, 1939 in McComb, Mississippi. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Roosevelt University and a Master of Science degree in Advertising from Northwestern University. After graduating, Mingo went to work for J. Walter Thompson where he became their first Black […]
October 30th in African American History – John Youie Woodruff
October 30, 2007 John Youie Woodruff, Olympic champion, died. Woodruff was born July 5, 1915 in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. As a 21 year old college freshman, Woodruff won the 800 meter Gold Medal at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympic Games.
October 29th in African American History – Vonetta Flowers
October 29, 1973 Vonetta Flowers, the first Black person to win a Gold Medal in the Winter Olympic Games, was born in Birmingham, Alabama. Flowers was a sprinter and long jumper at the University of Alabama and aspired to make the United States Summer Olympic Team. After several failed attempts, she turned to making the […]
October 29th in African American History – Pearl Primus
October 29, 1994 Pearl Primus, dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist, died. Primus was born November 29, 1919 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Early in her career, Primus saw the need to promote African dance as an art form worthy of study and performance. In 1943, she presented her first composition, “African Ceremonial.”
October 28th in African American History – Terrell Lamar Davis
October 28, 1972 Terrell Lamar Davis, former football player, was born in San Diego, California. Davis initially played college football at Long Beach State University and when they ended their football program, he transferred to the University of Georgia. Davis graduated from Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Consumer Economics and was selected […]
October 28th in African American History – Oliver Edward Nelson
October 28, 1975 Oliver Edward Nelson, jazz musician, arranger, and composer, died. Nelson was born June 4, 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri. He learned to play the piano when he was six and started to play the saxophone when he was eleven. After military service in the Marines, Nelson studied music composition and theory at […]