November 11, 2020
Happy Veterans Day!
Today, we pause to commemorate the sacrifices made by the brave women and men who have courageously served our country. We honor members of the North Carolina Central University community who have served in the United States Armed Forces, protected our country and secured our shores. We thank you for your service. As a military-friendly campus, NCCU strives to provide veterans and their families with the support they need for academic success. NCCU has a Veterans Affairs Office and Veterans Law Clinic in the School of Law.
There are several nationally-recognized veterans who have strong ties to NCCU. A few include:
- Dr. Stewart Fulbright, the first dean of the NCCU School of Business, and Mr. William Emory McDonald, former head of NCCU’s Physical Plant, were Tuskegee Airmen;
- Alumnus Simeon Holloway, one of two African Americans who were part of the original U.S. B-1 Navy Band, has been awarded with the American Campaign Medal – WWII, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Navy Good Conduct Medal for his service in the United States Navy. Alumnus Holloway will celebrate his 100th birthday in December;
- Rear Admiral Barry C. Black (Ret.) serves as the 62nd Chaplain of the U.S. Senate earned a master’s degree in Counseling from NCCU in 1979; and
- Captain Thomas David Parham Jr., the U.S. Navy’s first black sailor promoted to captain, graduated from NCCU in 1941.
Whether you are an active or a retired member of the Armed Forces of the United States, thank you for your unwavering commitment to ensuring our country and its citizens are safe.
In Truth and Service,
Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., Chancellor
