Thursday, August 29, 2024

A00058 - Thurman Luce Dodson (Amherst College Class of 1926), Dunbar High School Graduate, Plaintiff in United States Supreme Court Case Dodson b. S404 U. S. 909


A slight correction to email set forth below, Charles Richard Drew was not the "next" name on my Memorial List.  The true next name on my Memorial List is Thurman Luce Dodson, another Dunbar High School graduate and an Amherst College classmate of Charles Drew in the Class of 1926.  Dodson comes before Drew because the list is alphabetical within the class listings.

As for Thurman Luce Dodson, I know that he graduated from Amherst College in 1926 where he received the Hyde and Hardy Prizes. He then graduated from Howard University Law School in 1929.  He appears to have been a self-employed attorney in the Washington, D.C. area for his entire 71-year professional career from January 1930 to September 2001 -- an extraordinary length of time.  Aside from his legal longevity, which is quite an accomplishment in and of itself, I was not able to find any other source of information except for a 1975 case involving Mr. Dodson which does not reflect favorably on him.
In time, I hope that additional information can be discovered concerning Thurman Luce Dodson.  If so, it will be added to his profile ... and to my memories of him.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Class of 1975  

 

 
 

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com <skipjen2865@aol.com>
To: 
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 11:39:48 PM PDT
Subject: Charles Richard Drew (Amherst College Class of 1926), Dunbar High School Graduate and "Father of the Blood Bank"


The next name on my Memorial List is the name of the most famous and arguably the most important Amherst College Black Alumni.  The name is Charles Richard Drew, a member of the Amherst College Class of 1926, and the acknowledged "Father of the Blood Bank".  I encourage all to read about Charles Drew in his Wikipedia page 


or in the following American Chemical Society profile

Charles Richard Drew - American Chemical Society (acs.org)


You can also read about Charles Drew in the Blackpast article set forth in full below.

Because of the work done by Dr. Drew, millions of lives have been saved by the utilization of the blood bank for blood transfusions. Millions of lives saved, including my own.  So, in my book, Charles Richard Drew is greatest Amherst College Black Alumni of all time.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Class of 1975



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Charles Drew (1904-1950)

Posted onMarch 12, 2024by contributed by: Euell A. Dixon
Charles Drew (Wikipedia)
Portrait of Charles Drew
Photo from the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (CC0)

Charles Richard Drew was a medical researcher, surgeon, and the first African American to be appointed as a medical examiner for the American Board of Surgery. His research and work led to the development of processing and storing plasma in blood banks.

Drew was born on June 3, 1904, in Washington, DC. His mother, Nora Rosella Burrell Drew, was the daughter of a European sea captain, and was trained as a schoolteacher. His father, Richard Drew, was a light skinned African American carpet-layer, as well as the secretary and only non-white member of the Carpet, Linoleum, and Soft-Tile Layers Union in the District of Columbia.

Raised in an upper-middle class neighborhood, Drew first attended Stevens Elementary, then Dunbar High School. Drew was an excellent student and athlete, exceeding in four sports, which earned him the James E. Walker Medal, and an athletic scholarship to Amherst College in Massachusetts once he graduated from Dunbar in 1922. He continued to excel in athletics, but the death of his sister and an injury in his senior year changed his focus towards medicine.

Drew earned his AB from Amherst in 1926 and worked as the instructor of biology and chemistry as well as the athletic director at Morgan College (now Morgan State University), before attending McGill University in Montreal, Canada. During his internship at Montreal General Hospital, Drew conducted research that led to correlations between blood transfusions and shock therapy. He was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, a medical honor society when he received his Master of Surgery and Doctor of Medicine degree in 1933.

After returning to Washington, DC, Drew worked as a pathology instructor at Howard University, before beginning a long career at the Freedman’s Hospital (now Howard University Hospital) as a surgery instructor and surgeon. Drew was awarded a Rockefeller fellowship at Columbia University before working on his doctoral thesis, “Banked Blood: A Study on Blood Preservation,” at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.

While at a conference, Drew met Minnie Lenore Robbins, and the two married in 1939. The couple had three daughters and a son. When he completed his studies at Columbia in 1940, Drew became the first African American in the United States to earn a Doctor of Science in Medicine degree. He was then recruited to set up and administer protocols for blood collection, storage, and preservation when the US entered World War II. He moved to New York City to serve as the medical director for the United States Blood to Britain Project, which provided aid to UK soldiers and citizens.

In 1941, Drew became the Director of the first American Red Cross blood bank. In that role he developed bloodmobiles for mobile donations. He resigned in 1942 when African American blood continued to be segregated despite his own scientific research that proved every person had the same type of blood plasma and thus transfusions could be administered to anyone regardless of the blood type or race of the donor. Drew returned to work at both Howard University and the Freedmen’s Hospital. While there he was awarded the Spingarn medal by the NAACP in 1944, and two honorary doctorate degrees.

On April 1, 1950, Drew and three of his resident physicians began traveling from Washington, DC. to Tuskegee Institute to attend a conference. Drew was driving in North Carolina and fell asleep at the wheel. The car ran off the road and he suffered serious injuries when he was thrown from the vehicle, and it rolled over him. Drew and the other inured passenger, John Ford, were taken to Alamance General Hospital, a “whites only” hospital despite their race. Drew died from his injuries at the hospital while Ford recovered. The Drew family later wrote letters to the attending physicians thanking them for their attempt to save the surgeon’s life. Charles Drew was only 45 when he died in North Carolina.





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Amherst Relatives

  • Thelma Dodson W1926 (d)


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Employment Information

    Former

    • Attorney
      Self Employed
      Start:
      01/1930
      End:
      09/2001

    Industry Information

      Former

      • Law/Legal Services
      • Law/Legal Services: Attorney

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      Reunion Class

      • 1926

      Prizes

      • Hyde, Hardy


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      Secondary Schools

      • Dunbar High School

      Higher Ed

      • Howard University
        Field of Study:
        Law
        Degree:
        Bachelor of Laws
        Year:
        1929

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      Dodson v. Scheve

      Annotate this Case

      339 A.2d 39 (1975)

      Thurman L. DODSON, Appellant, v. Theodore J. SCHEVE et al., Appellees. Florence HAWKINS, Appellant, v. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA et al., Appellees.

      Nos. 8039, 8321.

      District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

      June 2, 1975.

      Rehearing en Banc Denied July 14, 1975.

      Richard J. Hopkins, Washington, D. C., for Dodson and Hawkins.

      Kurt Berlin, Washington, D. C., for Scheves.

      C. Francis Murphy, Corp. Counsel, D. C., Henry E. Wixon and Melvin J. Washington, Ass't Corp. Counsel, for the District of Columbia.

      Before KERN and NEBEKER, Associate Judges, and PAIR, Associate Judge, Retired.

      JUDGMENT

      PER CURIAM.

      Both appellants were owners of real property in the District of Columbia, which *40 properties were deeded by the District to Mr. and Mrs. Scheve subsequent to the failure of appellants to redeem these properties after incurring tax arrearages. At trial, appellants sought to set aside these deeds from the District to the Scheves and to clear title to their respective property. Their actions were based on the claim that the notice provisions of D.C.Code 1973, §§ 47-1001 and 47-1001a, were not reasonably calculated to notify them that they were in danger of losing title to their properties, and, accordingly, that the conveyance from the District to the Scheves constituted a taking without due process. In both cases appellants conceded that the District had complied with the above statutory notice requirements.[1] On the records before us we need not, and therefore should not,[2] address this constitutional issue[3] since we affirm the trial judges' findings that in each case the appellant was in fact effectively notified of the pending conveyance of the property.

      In Dodson's case, the court found that Mr. Dodson, an attorney, had been delinquent 14 times within recent years in the payment of his real estate taxes, but that he had always managed (except on the instant occasion) to pay his tax bill in time to avoid the loss of his property. The court also found that the District did mail to him a final notice of delinquency announcing that further nonpayment would result in sale, although Dodson denied receiving that letter. The court further found that the District (according to apparent administrative custom, although not statutorily required) had sent a letter to Mr. Dodson by certified or registered mail notifying him that his redemption period was soon to expire. Receipt of that letter was acknowledged by one Maureen Brent, an employee in the building where Dodson worked. Although he customarily had his mail delivered by her, Mr. Dodson denied the actual receipt of that letter. The fact that under these circumstances Mr. Dodson claims no actual notice does not prove that the efforts of the District to notify him were insufficient. As the Court stated in Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co., 339 U.S. 306, 314, 70 S. Ct. 652, 657, 94 L. Ed. 865 (1950), notice satisfies due process requirements if it is "reasonably calculated, under all the circumstances, to apprise interested parties of the pendency of the action and afford them an opportunity to present their objections." We affirm the trial court's holding that the District's efforts to notify Mr. Dodson were here so calculated. Cf. Nelson v. New York, 352 U.S. 103, 77 S. Ct. 195, 1 L. Ed. 2d 171 (1956).

      In Mrs. Hawkins' case, appellant conceded receipt of a letter advising her that her opportunity to redeem was about to expire. She claimed, however, that by the time she received this letter (March 19, 1973) the District had already deeded the property to the Scheves (March 14, 1973). The letter was dated December 1, 1972, and a witness *41 for the District stated that according to custom it "should have been mailed on December 1, 1972," although this particular letter bore no date stamp which normally is printed on such mail by the Department of Finance and Revenue. See United States v. Chemical Foundation, 272 U.S. 1, 47 S. Ct. 1, 71 L. Ed. 131 (1926).

      It is apparent from the trial court's ruling that it rejected the testimony of appellant Hawkins that she did not receive the District's letter prior to conveyance of her property at the expiration of her redemption period. The court also found, as in the case of Mr. Dodson, that the District had mailed to her a final notice of delinquency prior to sale. Thus, the record can fairly be read to support a finding of actual notice of the sale and the expiring redemption period. In this connection, the trial judge also observed that on several previous occasions Mrs. Hawkins had successfully redeemed her property after falling into arrears on her taxes, leading him to state that "the lady is most proficient, in my view, so far as the knowledge of the procedure is concerned." The court, therefore, found that "she had a knowledge of the debt and she had a knowledge of what the remedy [i. e., the District's sale remedy] was."

      We hold that the respective records support the trial judges' findings that both Mr. Dodson and Mrs. Hawkins were sufficiently notified of the forthcoming conveyance of their respective property due to a tax delinquency.

      Accordingly, it is this 2nd day of June 1975,

      Ordered and adjudged that the judgments in favor of the appellees, the Scheves and the District of Columbia, be, and hereby are, affirmed.

      PAIR, Associate Judge, Retired (concurring in part and dissenting in part):

      I am constrained to concur in the result reached in Dodson v. Scheve, et al., because there is a record showing that Mr. Dodson was given notice by registered mail before his property was sold for nonpayment of taxes. I cannot concur in the result reached in Hawkins v. D. C., et al., and therefore dissent.

      Appellant Hawkins was at the time of the acts complained of the owner-occupier of a dwelling-house. It appears that prior to 1969, the bill for real estate taxes assessed against the property was mailed to and paid by the holder of the first trust. In the early part of 1969 the dwelling was so damaged by fire that appellant was required to leave it while repairs costing some $6500.00 were made.

      Real estate taxes in the amount of $245.27 were assessed against the property for Fiscal Year 1970, and the tax bill was mailed to appellant Hawkins as owner of record of the property. Appellant failed to pay the taxes and her property, described only by lot and square number, was included in a delinquent tax list prepared by the assessor. After publication of the delinquent tax list together with notice of sale as required by D.C.Code 1973, § 47-1001, appellant's property was sold to the Scheves for the amount of the unpaid taxes plus penalties and costs. Because the property was not redeemed within the time permitted by law, the District of Columbia on March 14, 1973, conveyed the property to the Scheves as tenants by the entireties for $259.27 representing the amount of the unpaid taxes, penalties, and costs.

      Even if appellant was afforded the proper statutory protection before the tax sale of her property, it seems to me that the District of Columbia owed her a duty to give proper notice of the expiring period for redemption before conveying the property by tax deed to the Scheves. See Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co., 339 U.S. 306, 314, 70 S. Ct. 652, 657, 94 L. Ed. 865 (1950), where the Court said:

      An elementary and fundamental requirement of due process in any proceeding *42 which is to be accorded finality is notice reasonably calculated, under all the circumstances, to apprise interested parties of the pendency of the action and afford them an opportunity to present their objections. . . . [Citations omitted.]

      See also and compare Miles v. District of Columbia, et al., 510 F.2d 188 (D.C.Cir. 1975).

      There is, of course, a record showing that the District did address a letter to appellant advising her that the period within which she was permitted to redeem her property was about to expire. However, appellant insists that the letter was not received until more than 15 days after the period had expired, and it is undisputed that the envelope in which the letter was enclosed had no postmark. Under the circumstances I refuse to indulge a presumption that the letter was ever mailed. In any event, it appears to have been the practice of the District to send such a notice by registered mail because in the companion case of Dodson v. Scheve, et al., notice by registered mail was given.

      But aside from all of this, Congress has made owner-occupiers of dwellings in the District of Columbia the subject of special concern. Thus, in D.C.Code 1973, § 47-903, it is provided:

      No family dwelling-house occupied by the owner thereof shall be sold for delinquent. . . real-estate taxes. . . unless notice has been personally served upon such owner or sent by registered mail, addressed to him at such dwelling-house, not less than thirty days prior to the date of such sale.

      By D.C.Code 1973, § 47-905, Congress provided further that:

      This chapter shall be deemed as applying only to such occupant and owner as shall have filed with the assessor of the District of Columbia an affidavit as to domicile and ownership. The form of the affidavit shall be prepared by the assessor of the District of Columbia, and shall show the beginning of domicile, the time when ownership began, the street number, the number of the square and lot, and all trusts, if any, against the property. [Emphasis added.]

      It is a matter of general knowledge that the District of Columbia has formulated elaborate procedures for the collection of delinquent taxes and in the process has set forth on the face and back of tax bills varied tax information, although there was no statutory obligation to do so. Significantly enough, no notice has been given by the District, in fine print or otherwise, that the owner-occupier of a dwelling, upon filing an affidavit on a form prepared by the assessor, would be entitled to thirty days' notice by registered mail before his property was sold for delinquent taxes. See D.C.Code 1973, § 1-1504(d)(5). The District of Columbia insists that it did all that the law required, and it is true that every person is presumed to know the law. However, I perceive basic unfairness in the system which on the one hand frustrates, in effect, the will of the Congress as expressed in D.C.Code 1973, § 47-903, and on the other gives aid and comfort to those who are permitted to profit a thousandfold at the expense of the poor, the ignorant and the less alert.

      I would reverse the judgment in Hawkins v. D. C., et al., and remand with directions to set aside the tax deed and afford the appellant an opportunity to redeem, within a reasonable time, her property by paying the amount of the delinquent taxes plus costs, penalties, and interest.

      NOTES

      [1] Mrs. Hawkins urges that she was entitled to personal service or service by registered mail pursuant to D.C.Code 1973, § 47-903, since she was the occupant of a family dwelling. Section 47-905 clearly provides, however, that such service is required only after a taxpayer first files an affidavit establishing his status as an occupant of a family dwelling. Mrs. Hawkins made no showing of such a filing. Because of our disposition of the case, we need not address her contention that in order to comply with the legislative purpose behind § 47-903 the District is required to notify taxpayers (by means in addition to the Code) of the opportunity provided in § 47-905 to file an affidavit.

      [2] See Bush v. Texas, 372 U.S. 586, 590, 83 S. Ct. 922, 9 L. Ed. 2d 958 (1963); Powell v. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Comm'n, 151 U.S.App.D.C. 295, 466 F.2d 466 (1972).

      [3] It is an argument of dubious validity under all the circumstances attendant to the collection of funds for the public treasury, ownership of realty, the universal knowledge of dire consequences for nonpayment of taxes, and the existence of a substantial period of redemption.

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      Sat, Aug 31 at 12:47 AM

      A slight correction to email set forth below, Charles Richard Drew was not the "next" name on my Memorial List.  The true next name on my Memorial List is Thurman Luce Dodson, another Dunbar High School graduate and an Amherst College classmate of Charles Drew in the Class of 1926.  Dodson comes before Drew because the list is alphabetical within the class listings.

      As for Thurman Luce Dodson, I know that he graduated from Amherst College in 1926 where he received the Hyde and Hardy Prizes. He then graduated from Howard University Law School in 1929.  He appears to have been a self-employed attorney in the Washington, D.C. area for his entire 71-year professional career from January 1930 to September 2001 -- an extraordinary length of time.  Aside from his legal longevity, which is quite an accomplishment in and of itself, I was not able to find any other source of information except for a 1975 case involving Mr. Dodson which does not reflect favorably on him.
      In time, I hope that additional information can be discovered concerning Thurman Luce Dodson.  If so, it will be added to his profile ... and to my memories of him.

      Peace,

      Everett "Skip" Jenkins
      Class of 1975  

       

       
       

      ----- Forwarded Message -----
      From: skipjen2865@aol.com <skipjen2865@aol.com>
      To: 
      Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2024 at 11:39:48 PM PDT
      Subject: Charles Richard Drew (Amherst College Class of 1926), Dunbar High School Graduate and "Father of the Blood Bank"


      The next name on my Memorial List is the name of the most famous and arguably the most important Amherst College Black Alumni.  The name is Charles Richard Drew, a member of the Amherst College Class of 1926, and the acknowledged "Father of the Blood Bank".  I encourage all to read about Charles Drew in his Wikipedia page 


      or in the following American Chemical Society profile

      Charles Richard Drew - American Chemical Society (acs.org)


      You can also read about Charles Drew in the Blackpast article set forth in full below.

      Because of the work done by Dr. Drew, millions of lives have been saved by the utilization of the blood bank for blood transfusions. Millions of lives saved, including my own.  So, in my book, Charles Richard Drew is greatest Amherst College Black Alumni of all time.

      Peace,

      Everett "Skip" Jenkins
      Class of 1975



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      Charles Drew (1904-1950)

      Posted onMarch 12, 2024by contributed by: Euell A. Dixon
      Charles Drew (Wikipedia)
      Portrait of Charles Drew
      Photo from the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center (CC0)

      Charles Richard Drew was a medical researcher, surgeon, and the first African American to be appointed as a medical examiner for the American Board of Surgery. His research and work led to the development of processing and storing plasma in blood banks.

      Drew was born on June 3, 1904, in Washington, DC. His mother, Nora Rosella Burrell Drew, was the daughter of a European sea captain, and was trained as a schoolteacher. His father, Richard Drew, was a light skinned African American carpet-layer, as well as the secretary and only non-white member of the Carpet, Linoleum, and Soft-Tile Layers Union in the District of Columbia.

      Raised in an upper-middle class neighborhood, Drew first attended Stevens Elementary, then Dunbar High School. Drew was an excellent student and athlete, exceeding in four sports, which earned him the James E. Walker Medal, and an athletic scholarship to Amherst College in Massachusetts once he graduated from Dunbar in 1922. He continued to excel in athletics, but the death of his sister and an injury in his senior year changed his focus towards medicine.

      Drew earned his AB from Amherst in 1926 and worked as the instructor of biology and chemistry as well as the athletic director at Morgan College (now Morgan State University), before attending McGill University in Montreal, Canada. During his internship at Montreal General Hospital, Drew conducted research that led to correlations between blood transfusions and shock therapy. He was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, a medical honor society when he received his Master of Surgery and Doctor of Medicine degree in 1933.

      After returning to Washington, DC, Drew worked as a pathology instructor at Howard University, before beginning a long career at the Freedman’s Hospital (now Howard University Hospital) as a surgery instructor and surgeon. Drew was awarded a Rockefeller fellowship at Columbia University before working on his doctoral thesis, “Banked Blood: A Study on Blood Preservation,” at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.

      While at a conference, Drew met Minnie Lenore Robbins, and the two married in 1939. The couple had three daughters and a son. When he completed his studies at Columbia in 1940, Drew became the first African American in the United States to earn a Doctor of Science in Medicine degree. He was then recruited to set up and administer protocols for blood collection, storage, and preservation when the US entered World War II. He moved to New York City to serve as the medical director for the United States Blood to Britain Project, which provided aid to UK soldiers and citizens.

      In 1941, Drew became the Director of the first American Red Cross blood bank. In that role he developed bloodmobiles for mobile donations. He resigned in 1942 when African American blood continued to be segregated despite his own scientific research that proved every person had the same type of blood plasma and thus transfusions could be administered to anyone regardless of the blood type or race of the donor. Drew returned to work at both Howard University and the Freedmen’s Hospital. While there he was awarded the Spingarn medal by the NAACP in 1944, and two honorary doctorate degrees.

      On April 1, 1950, Drew and three of his resident physicians began traveling from Washington, DC. to Tuskegee Institute to attend a conference. Drew was driving in North Carolina and fell asleep at the wheel. The car ran off the road and he suffered serious injuries when he was thrown from the vehicle, and it rolled over him. Drew and the other inured passenger, John Ford, were taken to Alamance General Hospital, a “whites only” hospital despite their race. Drew died from his injuries at the hospital while Ford recovered. The Drew family later wrote letters to the attending physicians thanking them for their attempt to save the surgeon’s life. Charles Drew was only 45 when he died in North Carolina.




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      Fred Gregory 

      Sat, Aug 31 at 8:48 AM
      Thurman Dodson was my next door neighbor...actually there was one additional home between us...but I never knew he graduated in the same Amherst class as Uncle Charlie. He had one son, Michael. When his home was being built in SE DC, I climbed all over it. I think I was about 8. Beautiful home on Massachusetts Ave., across from Fort Dupont Park. Fred


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      Fred Gregory was originally in the Amherst College Class of 1962.  He is the nephew of Charles Drew, Amherst College Class of 1926.  He is also the grandson of James Francis Gregory, Amherst College Class of 1898, who was the captain of the Amherst College Baseball team, the first African American to hold such a position.  Fred Gregory had a distinguished career as an astronaut and a NASA administrator.  See his Wikipedia set forth below.

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      Frederick Drew Gregory (born January 7, 1941) is a former United States Air Force pilotmilitary engineertest pilot, and NASA astronaut as well as former NASA Deputy Administrator. He also served briefly as NASA Acting Administrator in early 2005, covering the period between the departure of Sean O'Keefe and the swearing in of Michael D. Griffin.

      Early life and education

      [edit]

      Gregory was born on January 7, 1941, in Washington, D.C., His father was Francis A. Gregory, an educator who was assistant superintendent for D.C. Public Schools as well as the first Black president of the D.C. Public Library Board of Trustees.[1] His father was given the honors of having the Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library named after him. His mother was Nora Drew Gregory, a lifelong educator as well as public library advocate.[2] She was also the sister of noted African-American physician, surgeon and researcher Dr. Charles Drew, who developed improved techniques for blood storage, and applied his expert knowledge in developing large-scale blood banks early in World War II, saving thousands of Allied lives. Gregory's great-grandfather was educator James Monroe Gregory.[3] His family lore suggests he has an ancestor from Madagascar.[4]

      Gregory was raised in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Anacostia High School. He attended the United States Air Force Academy after being nominated by Adam Clayton Powell Jr.; there, he received his Air Force commission and an undergraduate degree in military engineering.[5]

      Military career

      [edit]

      After graduating from the Air Force Academy, Gregory earned his wings after helicopter school, flew in Vietnam, transitioned to fighter aircraft, attended the Navy Test Pilot School, and then conducted testing as an engineering test pilot for both the Air Force and NASA. He also received a master's degree in information systems from George Washington University.[5]

      During his time in the Air Force, Gregory logged approximately 7,000 hours in more than 50 types of aircraft as a helicopter, fighter and test pilot. He flew 550 combat rescue missions in Vietnam.[6]

      NASA career

      [edit]
      Astronaut candidates Ron McNairGuy Bluford, and Fred Gregory wearing Apollo spacesuits, May 1978
      Ronald McNairGuy Bluford and Fred Gregory from the class of 1978 were the first three African Americans to go to space.

      Gregory was selected as an astronaut in January 1978. His technical assignments included: Astronaut Office representative at the Kennedy Space Center during initial Orbiter checkout and launch support for STS-1 and STS-2; Flight Data File Manager; lead spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM); Chief, Operational Safety, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.; Chief, Astronaut Training; and a member of the Orbiter Configuration Control Board and the Space Shuttle Program Control Board. Notably, he was one of the CAPCOM during the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. A veteran of three Shuttle missions he has logged about 456 hours in space. He served as pilot on STS-51B (April 29 to May 6, 1985), and was the spacecraft commander on STS-33 (November 22–27, 1989), and STS-44 (November 24 to December 1, 1991).[5]

      STS-51B

      [edit]

      STS-51B/Spacelab-3 launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on April 29, 1985, with Gregory serving as pilot. The crew aboard the Orbiter Challenger included spacecraft commander, Robert Overmyer; mission specialists, Norman ThagardWilliam E. Thornton, and Don Lind; and payload specialists, Taylor Wang and Lodewijk van den Berg. On this second flight of the laboratory developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), the crew conducted a broad range of scientific experiments ranging from space physics to the suitability of animal-holding facilities. The crew also deployed the Northern Utah Satellite (NUSAT). After seven days of around-the-clock scientific operations, Challenger and its laboratory cargo landed on the dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on May 6, 1985. Mission duration was 168 hours, 8 minutes, 47 seconds.[7]

      STS-33

      [edit]

      When STS-33 launched at night, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 22, 1989, Gregory became the first African-American to command a space flight.[8] On board the Orbiter Discovery, Gregory's crew included the pilot, John Blaha, and three mission specialists, Manley (Sonny) CarterStory Musgrave, and Kathryn Thornton. The mission carried Department of Defense payloads and other secondary payloads. After 79 orbits of the Earth, this five-day mission concluded on November 27, 1989, with a hard surface landing on Runway 04 at Edwards AFB, California. Mission duration was 120 hours, 7 minutes, 32 seconds.[9]

      STS-44

      [edit]

      STS-44 launched at night from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on November 24, 1991. During 110 orbits of the Earth, the crew successfully deployed their prime payload, the Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite. They worked on a variety of secondary payloads ranging from the Military Man in Space experiment designed to evaluate the ability of a space borne observer to gather information about ground troops, equipment and facilities, and also participated in extensive studies evaluating medical countermeasures to long duration space flight. The crew aboard the Orbiter Atlantis included the pilot Tom Henricks; three mission specialists, Story Musgrave, Jim Voss, and Mario Runco Jr.; and Army payload specialist Tom Hennen. The mission concluded on December 1, 1991, with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Mission duration was 166 hours, 50 minutes, 42 seconds.[10]

      NASA administration

      [edit]
      During his time at NASA

      Gregory served at NASA Headquarters as Associate Administrator for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (1992–2001), and was Associate Administrator for the Office of Space Flight (2001–2002). On August 12, 2002, Mr. Gregory was sworn in as NASA Deputy Administrator.[11] In that role, he was responsible to the Administrator for providing overall leadership, planning, and policy direction for the Agency. The Deputy Administrator performs the duties and exercises the powers delegated by the Administrator, assists the Administrator in making final Agency decisions, and acts for the Administrator in his or her absence by performing all necessary functions to govern NASA operations and exercise the powers vested in the Agency by law. The Deputy Administrator articulates the Agency's vision and represents NASA to the Executive Office of the President, Congress, heads of Federal and other appropriate Government agencies, international organizations, and external organizations and communities.[12] From the departure of Sean O'Keefe on February 20, 2005, to the swearing in of Michael D. Griffin on April 14, 2005, he was the NASA Acting Administrator. He returned to the post of Deputy Administrator and on September 9, 2005, submitted his resignation. He was replaced on November 29, 2005, by Shana Dale.[11][13]

      Personal life

      [edit]

      Gregory was married to the former Barbara Archer of Washington, D.C., until her death in 2008. They had two grown children. Frederick, D. Jr., a Civil Servant working in the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (DOD), and a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Florida. Heather Lynn is a social worker and graduate of Sweet Briar College and the University of Maryland. He is now married to the former Annette Becke of Washington, D.C., and together they have three children and six grandchildren. His recreational interests include reading, boating, hiking, diving, biking and traveling.[6][14]

      Education

      [edit]

      Organizations

      [edit]

      Mr. Gregory is a member of the following organizations:[14]

      • Order of Daedalians
      • The Air Force Association
      • The Tuskegee Airmen, Inc
      • United States Air Force Academy Endowment board member
      • United States Air Force Association of Graduates board member
      • Omega Psi Phi fraternity
      • Sigma Pi Phi fraternity
      • Society of Experimental Test Pilots
      • American Helicopter Society
      • National Aviation Hall of Fame board member
      • National Museum of the Air Force trustee
      • Chairman of the NASA Alumni League
      • National Technical Association
      • Association of Space Explorers officer
      • Astronaut Scholarship Foundation board member

      Special honors

      [edit]

      Mr. Gregory holds the following honors and awards:[15]

      • Air Force Legion of Merit
      • Defense Superior Service Medal
      • Distinguished Flying Cross – 3
      • Defense Meritorious Service Medal
      • Air Force Meritorious Service Medal
      • Air Medal - 16
      • Air Force Commendation Medal
      • NASA Distinguished Service Medal - 2
      • NASA Spaceflight Medal – 3
      • NASA Outstanding Leadership Award - 2
      • National Intelligence Medal
      • Astronaut Hall of Fame
      • National Society of Black Engineers Distinguished Scientist Award[6]
      • Designated an "Ira Eaker Fellow" by the Air Force Association
      • Presidential Rank Award
      • United States Air Force Academy Distinguished Graduate[16]
      • The George Washington University Distinguished Graduate
      • Anacostia High School Hall of Fame
      • Honorary Doctorates from: The University of the District of Columbia, Southwestern University, The College of Aeronautics
      • The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science President's Medal
      • The Consolidated Education and Training Facility at the United States Air Force Academy was renamed “Gregory Hall” in September 2021 in honor of Frederick Gregory
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      Everett "Skip" Jenkins

      Sat, Aug 31 at 9:05 AM
      Fred,

      Thank you for sending me this note.  Ironically, the 1975 case Dodson v. Scheve appears to concern the beautiful home on Massachusetts Avenue.  According to the case, Dodson had failed to pay the taxes on the home and Mr. Scheve (who appears to have had a business buying such properties) claimed the property. Dodson lost the case.  Whether he ultimately had to leave the property, I do not know. 

      I suspect that like so many of us, especially those in private practice, cash flow issues may have played a role in any financial difficulties Mr. Dodson experienced over the years.  And the fact that he allowed you to freely climb all over the property, sheds further light on his character ... and his caring.

      Thank you, Fred.  This helps make my day. 

      Skip

      P.S. This is the name of the case and the citation for it:

      Dodson v. Scheve

      Annotate this Case

      339 A.2d 39 (1975)

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      Junius Williams 

      Sat, Aug 31 at 10:17 AM
      Let me add this to his profile: he was the President of the Washington DC Bar Association from 1934-36, and the NationalBar Association from 1947-48. He was in a delegation of Black Republicans that met with President Truman in 1950. he was a funny dude and my good friend. Junius ‘65

      88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888Past Presidents - National Bar Association

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      Junius Williams is a member of the Amherst College Class of 1965 and received an honorary degree from Amherst College in 2024.  The following is his Biographical Note from The History Makers interview.
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      Lawyer Junius Williams was born on December 23, 1943 in Suffolk, Virginia. Williams graduated from Armstrong High School in Richmond, Virginia. He earned his B.A. degree from Amherst College in 1965, and his J.D. degree from Yale Law School in 1968. While attending law school, Williams spent his summers living in Newark, New Jersey to work with the Newark Community Union Project. Following his graduation from Yale Law School, Williams moved to Newark to help rebuild the city after the riots of 1967 and maintain a private law practice. He began as the director of the Newark Area Planning Association, where he helped produce affordable housing and job training programs for minorities. In 1970, Williams was named as the director of the Model Cities Program for the City of Newark. He was then named as the youngest president in the National Bar Association’s history in 1978, and his administration became known as “The Year of Affirmative Action.” In 1990, Williams was named as counsel to the Municipal Council of Irvington, New Jersey. Only four years later, he became the Township Attorney for Irvington. During his career, Williams also served as the director for the Abbott Leadership Institute at Rutgers University. In addition to his professional career, Williams was also involved with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee during the Civil Rights Movement. As a member of SNCC, he participated in the 1963 March on Washington and the Selma to Montgomery March. Williams was involved in the Civil Rights History Project as a part of the Smithsonian Institute as well. He served as a chairman of the Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church from 1990 until 2003 and as an official observer at the first South African National Election in 1994. He was also the chairman of the board of trustees for the Education Law Center from 2000 until 2005. Williams published his own book on African American politics, Unfinished Agenda: Urban Politics in the Era of Black Power, in 2014. Williams and his wife, Dr. Antoinette Ellis-Williams, have four children: Camille, Junea, Junius, and Che.
      Junius Williams was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on March 31, 2017.
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      Junius Williams 

      Sat, Aug 31 at 10:17 AM
      I didn’t know he went to Amherst until just now. Junius
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      Everett "Skip" Jenkins
      Sent: Saturday, August 31, 2024, at 11:25:53 AM PD
      Neither did Fred Gregory, Class of 1962, who spent many days during his childhood days playing at his near neighbor's Thurman Dodson's house.  He was also surprised to see that Thurman Dodson was in the same Amherst class as his Uncle Charlie, Uncle Charles Drew.

      Skip

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      -
      From: Fred Gregory 
      Sent: Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 06:15:07 AM PDT
      Subject: Re: [BAL:] Grateful Thank Yous to Frederick Drew Gregory (Class of 1962) and Junius White Williams (Class of 1965)

      My dad called him Councilor. His wife was a teacher and taught at Eastern High School as I remember.  His brother (or brother in law) and his wife lived in a home next to him. 

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