Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Military Appreciation - Col Reginald Hairston
Col Reginald L. Hairston (3-87-BDD), Chief of Human Capital Division at Joint Staff, will be recognized along with other senior military officer alumni during the Delaware versus JMU football game on September 27, 2014 in Harrisonburg, VA. The recognition is scheduled to take place between the 1st and 2nd quarters of the game.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
DNRonline.com Article: Historical Marker Sought for Civil Rights Activist
Historical Marker Sought For Civil Rights Activist
A Virtual Unknown, City Native Had Broad Impact
Posted: September 2, 2014
By BRYAN GILKERSON
City Council has endorsed a request seeking to put a state historical marker in front of the John Wesley United Methodist Church on Sterling Street in honor of the late Edgar Love. (Photo by Jason Lenhart)
HARRISONBURG -- A relatively unknown native son of Harrisonburg may soon have his impact on history recognized by the state.
Edgar Amos Love, born in the city in 1891, was a civil rights activist, U.S. Army chaplain, professor, Methodist bishop and co-founder of Omega Psi Phi, the first international fraternity founded at a historically black college.
Love's father, the Rev. Julius C. Love, traveled to various locations as a minister, so it is not clear how long the family remained in Harrisonburg. Much of his adult life was spent in Baltimore, where he died in 1974.
Several alumni of the James Madison University chapter of the fraternity, Beta Delta Delta, have formed a committee charged with the task of having Love's contribution to history immortalized by a state historical marker to be placed near John Wesley United Methodist Church at the intersection of Sterling and Effinger streets.
Julius Love was a minster at the church and his son was born in the parsonage, although at that time the church was located at the site now occupied by Union Station Restaurant and Bar at 128 W. Market St.
Michael Peterson of New York City, one of the committee members seeking the marker, said the impetus for the effort was actually due to a mistake.
At a 2011 celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the fraternity's founding at Howard University in Washington, D.C., it was discovered that official records had identified Love as being born in Harrisburg, Va. - a location that doesn't exist.
"For over 100 years, there has been a part of our history that has been incorrect," Peterson said by telephone Sunday afternoon.
Other members of the committee include Brian Tyler of Hampton, Lee Parker and Rodney Jefferson, both of Richmond, Andre Wallace of Newport News and Randy Tapley of Charlotte, N.C.
Wallace's wife, Dawnn Wallace, assisted the committee in its research.
According to memoirs published by the United Methodist Church, Love was educated at Morgan College in Baltimore, Howard University and Boston University.
During World War I, he served overseas for 14 months as an Army chaplain, before returning and working as a teacher at Morgan College.
A Washington Post article dated Feb. 15, 1922, notes that Love was elected to serve as the national chaplain for the American Negro Veterans of the World War organization.
He was elected a bishop to the segregated Central Conference of the Baltimore area in the Methodist Church.
It was his social activism as a bishop that the committee members say deserves historical recognition.
"His contributions are not really well known," Dawnn Wallace said. "Individuals in Harrisonburg have no idea of the impact he made."
Love was involved in desegregation efforts and voter registration drives throughout the 1950s, presided over interracial marriages and even held the ear of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Love's efforts also helped the Methodist Church integrate in 1965, according to his 1974 obituary published in The [Baltimore] Sun.
"He was a big part of black history ... and [American] history in general," Dawnn Wallace said.
Harrisonburg City Council unanimously gave its support for the request for a marker at the Aug. 26 meeting, with several council members saying that they were unaware of the significance of Love in the nation's history.
The next step in the historical marker process is to gain approval from the state.
The committee members said that the state Department of Historic Resources would review their application this month and make a determination on the marker in December.
If given approval, the committee plans to unveil the marker on Apr. 18, 2015, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fraternity's charter at James Madison University.
Love's son Jon is expected to be present for the dedication, as well as several JMU African-American organizations and the 40th national president of the fraternity, Tony Knox.
Contact Bryan Gilkerson at 574-6267 or bgilkerson@dnronline.com
A Virtual Unknown, City Native Had Broad Impact
Posted: September 2, 2014
By BRYAN GILKERSON
HARRISONBURG -- A relatively unknown native son of Harrisonburg may soon have his impact on history recognized by the state.
Edgar Amos Love, born in the city in 1891, was a civil rights activist, U.S. Army chaplain, professor, Methodist bishop and co-founder of Omega Psi Phi, the first international fraternity founded at a historically black college.
Love's father, the Rev. Julius C. Love, traveled to various locations as a minister, so it is not clear how long the family remained in Harrisonburg. Much of his adult life was spent in Baltimore, where he died in 1974.
Several alumni of the James Madison University chapter of the fraternity, Beta Delta Delta, have formed a committee charged with the task of having Love's contribution to history immortalized by a state historical marker to be placed near John Wesley United Methodist Church at the intersection of Sterling and Effinger streets.
Julius Love was a minster at the church and his son was born in the parsonage, although at that time the church was located at the site now occupied by Union Station Restaurant and Bar at 128 W. Market St.
Michael Peterson of New York City, one of the committee members seeking the marker, said the impetus for the effort was actually due to a mistake.
At a 2011 celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the fraternity's founding at Howard University in Washington, D.C., it was discovered that official records had identified Love as being born in Harrisburg, Va. - a location that doesn't exist.
"For over 100 years, there has been a part of our history that has been incorrect," Peterson said by telephone Sunday afternoon.
Other members of the committee include Brian Tyler of Hampton, Lee Parker and Rodney Jefferson, both of Richmond, Andre Wallace of Newport News and Randy Tapley of Charlotte, N.C.
Wallace's wife, Dawnn Wallace, assisted the committee in its research.
According to memoirs published by the United Methodist Church, Love was educated at Morgan College in Baltimore, Howard University and Boston University.
During World War I, he served overseas for 14 months as an Army chaplain, before returning and working as a teacher at Morgan College.
A Washington Post article dated Feb. 15, 1922, notes that Love was elected to serve as the national chaplain for the American Negro Veterans of the World War organization.
He was elected a bishop to the segregated Central Conference of the Baltimore area in the Methodist Church.
It was his social activism as a bishop that the committee members say deserves historical recognition.
"His contributions are not really well known," Dawnn Wallace said. "Individuals in Harrisonburg have no idea of the impact he made."
Love was involved in desegregation efforts and voter registration drives throughout the 1950s, presided over interracial marriages and even held the ear of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Love's efforts also helped the Methodist Church integrate in 1965, according to his 1974 obituary published in The [Baltimore] Sun.
"He was a big part of black history ... and [American] history in general," Dawnn Wallace said.
Harrisonburg City Council unanimously gave its support for the request for a marker at the Aug. 26 meeting, with several council members saying that they were unaware of the significance of Love in the nation's history.
The next step in the historical marker process is to gain approval from the state.
The committee members said that the state Department of Historic Resources would review their application this month and make a determination on the marker in December.
If given approval, the committee plans to unveil the marker on Apr. 18, 2015, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fraternity's charter at James Madison University.
Love's son Jon is expected to be present for the dedication, as well as several JMU African-American organizations and the 40th national president of the fraternity, Tony Knox.
Contact Bryan Gilkerson at 574-6267 or bgilkerson@dnronline.com
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