James Gerald Harvey
About James
Veteran
My uncle, James Gerald ‘Jerry’ Harvey, was 12 years younger than my father; during World War II, all three of his older brothers served in the Army.
Jerry enrolled in ROTC at Amherst College before enlisting in the Air Force (1958-61). He was assigned to a base in Mississippi and because he did not plan to become a pilot, served as a re-enlistment officer, then assistant club officer, then assistant base adjutant. Jerry was proud that one of the men who worked for him named his child after him: Harvey Roder – they kept in touch for many years.
Jerry knew he wanted to be an educator, and he recalls going to visit a Black high school in Greenville, MS, where the children could not keep their eyes off him – the teacher told him they had never seen a white person in their school.
After three years in the service, Jerry became Director of Admissions at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and much of his work centered on recruitment of Black graduate students. Jerry remained an educator all his life and ended up teaching in East Los Angeles and Compton, trying to help students see a positive pathway for themselves.
I am lucky my parents chose him to be my godfather, and he has been an inspiration to me all my life.
Flag Location
Flag
A-V 8
Sponsor
Treat Harvey
Location
Honor Field A
