The Summer of 2026 Amherst magazine is a historic issue in that it celebrates 50th anniversary of Co-education at Amherst College. In so celebrating the magazine profiles some of the women of Amherst going from A to Z. I encourage all to read the profiles. In particular, I note the profiles of the following African American women
Aina Abiodun, Class of 1994P. Gabrielle Foreman, Class of 1986Tamara Johnson, Class of 1973Chantal Kordula, Class of 1994Catherine Lhamon, Class of 1993Sonia SanchezI suspect that the subject of the last profile, Sonia Sanchez, would be particularly proud of the women who followed her -- quite a distinguished group.Later on, in the Class Notes for the Class of 1963, I read the followingIn a recent post, Fritz Kuhnlenz, assistant vice president for strategic engagement and alumni relations, gave special praise to Bob Holmes, Tad Larrabee, and Alan Bernstein for the early development of our class web page. Bob Holmes deserves added praise for moving us to the Google Groups AC Class of 1963 listserv.Recently, Hugh Price made good use of that Google Group by recommending we read “The Accidental Winners of the War on Higher Ed,” by Ian Bogost, a writer at The Atlantic. No surprise, Amherst comes across particularly well in the article.Every time I see the name of Hugh Price I smile. To my mind, Hugh Price is one of the Top Ten African Americans to have attended Amherst College. You can read about Hugh Price atand you can even listen to Hugh at the same link.What particularly endears Hugh Price to me has been his availability. When I was more involved in the Black Alumni Listserv, Hugh volunteered to participate with me for an online book discussion concerning his book Strugglers into Strivers (see below). I also greatly appreciated his willingness to give the keynote address for the 2021 Black Alumni Memorial Service -- the service which I still consider having been blessed by God.Hugh has been serving not only the African American community but also the world almost from the moment he left Amherst College. He is a remarkable man. It also is impressive that he produced a daughter whose artistic endeavors were reported by Hugh in some Class Notes many years ago.Thank you, Hugh, for so much of everything.Peace,Everett "Skip" JenkinsClass of 1975September 10, 20268888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888LikeDislikeTraer Price’s Work with WatershowsTraer Price is a renowned African American artist and designer whose career spans graphic design, jewelry, and most notably, large-scale water/light/sound choreography for world‑famous fountainswww.traerprice.com+1.
Career in WatershowsFor 30 years, Price has served as a consultant to WET, a Los Angeles–based water feature design firm, creating choreographed water shows for major venues worldwideNotable Projects
NSUWorks.
eBay+1.
Core ThesisPrice argues that many students who “struggle perpetually” lack the social and emotional skills needed to succeed academically. He identifies that families, communities, and peer groups often fail to provide the support these students need, pulling them in the wrong directionMilitary-Inspired Education ModelDrawing on U.S. military training methods, Price proposes a new school paradigm that balances academic and social development. He suggests that the military’s emphasis on:
Amazon.
Target AudienceThe book is aimed at educators, counselors, and policymakers seeking to reform public education to address both academic performance and personal development. It is categorized under counseling / academic development and is intended for a trade audienceStructure and ContentThe 219-page book blends research findings with real-world experience, offering a framework for creating schools dedicated to turning “strugglers” into “strivers.” It calls for a reimagined public school system focused on students who are “laboring futilely” in school and life----- Forwarded Message -----From: "skipjen2865@aol.com" <skipjen2865@aol.com>To:Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 05:48:44 PM PDTSubject: Summer 0f 2026 Class Notes: Class of 1962: Fred Gregory-Because of my work on the Black Alumni Memorial Book, it appears that I have garnered a great deal of information that, apparently, I am intended to share. This mandate to share was recently made clear when I happened to read the Class Note for the Class of 1962 in the Summer of 2026 Amherst magazine. The 1962 Class Note has some information from Fred Gregory. It is set forth below and is followed by information which apparently I am now intended to share.I hope you will enjoy it.Peace,Everett "Skip" JenkinsClass of 1975August 9, 20268888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888"Fred Gregory has three grandkids who went to the United States Air Force Academy and another in AFROTC at the University of South Carolina. Furthermore, his 14-year-old granddaughter is a top swimmer whom he hopes in a few years the Air Force Academy will recruit. Finally, as if to lock in the Gregory family's record of service, yet another grandkid joined the Army Special Forces. Fred is still in demand for presentations but reports also becoming a self-appointed family genealogist. Some findings: 1) His ancestor and ninth great-grandfather John Alden was on the Mayflower as the cooper. A descendant and Fred's uncle was Dr. Charles Drew, class of 1926. 2) In another line, Fred's fourth great-granddad Sterling Claiborne was freed by the man who enslaved him, Butler Claiborne, because of his bravery and loyalty during the Revolutionary War. Sterling's descendant and Fred's grandfather was James Francis Gregory 1898. Fred also has in his lineage a U.s president, a vice president, and a framer of the Declaration of Independence."8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888Fred Gregory, Class of 1962, left Amherst in 1960 to matriculate at the United States Air Force Academy. He graduated from the Academy in 1964. Fred was the first African American to pilot a Space Shuttle in 1985 and later became the first Black shuttle commander. Fred was selected in NASA’s 1978 astronaut class and later became NASA’s first African American Deputy Administrator, also serving briefly as Acting Administrator in 2005. As AI notes,NASA’s Astronaut Group 8, announced on January 16, 1978, was the first new astronaut class since 1969 and the first to include African Americans, women, and Asian Americans Wikipedia+1. Of the 35 selected, three were African American:
tion he held until his retirement in 1972. A 1971 interview in the Amherst Student noted that
Wilson ultimately “reversed the percentages of public and private school graduates of the
college.”56 Under Wilson’s leadership, Amherst admission deans made efforts to diversify
incoming classes, including organizing frequent trips down to Washington, DC, to meet
with Dunbar students in person.Amherst faced competition from rivaling northern colleges for the best and brightest
Dunbar seniors. Williams College, near Amherst, had its own history of recruiting Dunbar
men going back to the early twentieth century, with about fifteen Dunbar students enroll-
ing between 1909 and 1944. In response, Wilson sought out local leaders in the black DC
community who could identify talented young men who might be a good fit for Amherst.
Wilson strategically collaborated with the Drew family that embodied Dunbar’s con-
nection with Amherst. Nora Drew Gregory, Charles Drew’s sister, served as a liaison
between Amherst and the black Washington community. After her brother died in an
automobile accident in 1950, Gregory diligently promoted his alma mater.Before his senior year at Dunbar in 1953, Harold Haizlip (class of 1957) simply remem-
bered Nora Drew Gregory as his elementary school teacher. However, in Haizlip’s senior
year, Harvard, Yale, Williams, Amherst, and Dartmouth all accepted him. Gregory per-
sistently advocated for Amherst to be his top choice. Haizlip recalled that she invited him
to her home: “[There was a] very nice white gentlemen Eugene Wilson . . . the dean of
admission! . . . This was at a time when it was unusual for college administrators, and
white college administrators, to be so aggressive. . . . I’m sure they knew Nora Gregory’s
lineage. . . . Her son . . . became the first African- American astronaut, Frederick Gregory.” 60
After Haizlip, Amherst recruited a cohort of three Dunbar seniors for the class of 1959,
who happened to also be neighborhood friends: Lawrence Burwell, Robert Jason, and
Raymond Hayes. Hayes remembered that “we were all interested in science and medicine
and were encouraged by the opportunity to attend Amherst together.” 61 Both Hayes and
Jason received $700 each through an Amherst College scholarship, while Burwell received
$500.62 These were all relatively significant contributions at the time. Annual tuition at
Amherst was $1,425 during the 1955 to 1956 school year. 63
No comments:
Post a Comment