Roscoe Brown | |
|---|---|
) Brown speaks at the dedication of the Tuskegee Airmen Bus Depot of MTA Regional Bus. | |
| Born | March 9, 1922 Washington, D.C. |
| Died | July 2, 2016 (aged 94) Norwood, New York |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | Army Air Corps |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group |
| Conflict | World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
Roscoe Conkling Brown Jr. (March 9, 1922 – July 2, 2016) was one of the Tuskegee Airmen and a squadron commander of the 100th Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group.[1]
Career
He was appointed to this position in June 1945, which was after V-E Day (May 8, 1945). During combat, he served as a flight leader and operations officer only. He graduated from the Tuskegee Flight School on March 12, 1944 as member of class 44-C-SE[1] and served in the U.S. Army Air Forces in Europe during World War II. During this period, Captain Brown shot down an advanced German Me 262 jet fighter and a FW-190 fighter (he is credited as the first pilot to shoot down a jet).[2][3] He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.[4]
Prior to his wartime service, he graduated from Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was valedictorian of the Class of 1943.[5] After the war, Brown resumed his education. His doctoral dissertation was on exercise physiology[6].
Brown became a professor at New York University and directed the NYU Institute of Afro-American Affairs (now the Institute of African American Affairs). Brown hosted The Soul of Reason, a radio talk show with interviewees which included politicians, professional athletes, medical professionals, and contemporary artists, which aired between 1971 and 1986.[7] Brown was President of Bronx Community College from 1977 to 1993 and director for the Center for Education Policy at the City University of New York.[8] In 1992, Brown received an honorary doctor of humanics degree from his alma mater, Springfield College.
Personal
Brown was born in Washington, D.C. in 1922.[8][9] His father, Roscoe C. Brown Sr. (1884–1963), was a dentist and an official in the United States Public Health Service[10] who was born as George Brown and had changed his name to honor Roscoe Conkling, a strong supporter of the rights of African Americans during Reconstruction. His mother was the former Vivian Berry, a teacher.[8]
On March 29, 2007, Brown attended a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol rotunda, where he and the other Tuskegee Airmen collectively, not individually, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service.[11]
He was also a member and past president of the 100 Black Men of America New York Chapter.[12] and professor of Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center. Brown died on July 2, 2016 at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y. at the age of 94.[8][13][14] He had resided in Riverdale in his latter years.[15]
See also
- Executive Order 9981
- List of Tuskegee Airmen
- Military history of African Americans
References
- ^ a b Tuskegee University's Tuskegee Airmen Pilot Listing. Retrieved 2012-01-21 Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. - Military Biography
- ^ Roscoe Brown, Jr. Biography
- ^ https://nypost.com/2016/07/05/saying-farewell-to-an-american-hero-roscoe-brown-jr/
- ^ Interview: Dr Roscoe Brown, Tuskegee Airman and Squadron Commander claytonperry.com
- ^ Pilot and edicator Roscoe C Brown Keystone College
- ^ "Guide to the Records of the Institute of African American Affairs RG.9.8". dlib.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
- ^ a b c d Roberts, Sam (July 7, 2016). "Roscoe C. Brown, Jr., 94, Tuskegee Airman and Political Confidant". New York Times. p. A17. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
- ^ "Roscoe C. Brown". thehistorymakers.com. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ The History Makers Biography of Captain Brown
- ^ "WWII black pilots, Tuskegee Airmen, get top civilian honor" William Douglas. McClatchy Newspapers, March 30, 2007.
- ^ Roscoe C Brown, Jr Facebook
- ^ "Longtime NYC educator, WWII hero, Roscoe Brown dead at 94". Retrieved 2016-07-05.
- ^ World War II Hero Dr. Roscoe C. Brown Dies at 94 Archived 2016-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Sixty years later, Congress honors Tuskegee Airmen" William Douglas. McClatchy Newspapers, March 15, 2007.
External links
- Biography CUNY-TV
- Interview BuildingNY with Michael Stoler, May 24, 2012
- Guide to the Records of the Institute of African American Affairs (RG.9.8) finding aid, http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/archives/iaaa/scopecontent.html
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Morton Rosenstock | President of Bronx Community College 1977 — 1993 | Succeeded by Leo A. Corbie |