Roscoe C. Brown Jr. was born in Washington, DC, on March 9, 1922. His father, Roscoe C. Brown Sr., was a dentist and official in the United States public health service. Roscoe’s mother was Vivian Kemp, a teacher.[1]
Roscoe was the valedictorian of the class of 1943 when he graduated from Springfield College in Massachusetts. His education was put on hold but would ultimately be resumed after the war. Instead of moving on to his master’s program, he moved on to the Tuskegee Flight School.[2]
Brown graduated from the Tuskegee Flight School on March 12, 1944. He went on to serve in the United States Army Air Force in Europe during World War II. In a March 24, 1945, mission to Berlin, Brown shot down a German Me 262 jet fighter. Several days later, on March 31, he shot down a few 190 fighter jets. Brown is credited to be the first 15th Air Force pilot to shoot down a jet. For this, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.[3][4]
After the war was over, Brown went back to school and earned his doctorate at New York University. His dissertation was on exercise psychology. He then became a professor at the same school. In 1950, he also became the director of the New York University Institute of Afro-American Affairs.[5]
A man of many talents, Brown also hosted a radio talk show called The Soul of Reason, where he interviewed politicians, professional athletes, medical professionals, and contemporary artists. The show aired between 1971 and 1986. He also hosted Black Arts and the CUNY TV show African American Legends.[6]
From 1977 to 1993, Roscoe Brown was the President of Bronx Community College and the director of the Center of Education Policy at the City University of New York. He was also elected into the National Academy of Kinesiology, also known as the American Academy of Physical Education.[7] In 1992, he received an honorary doctor of humanics degree from Springfield College.
On March 29, 2007, Roscoe Brown attended a ceremony at the United States Capitol rotunda where the Tuskegee Airmen were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service.[8]
Roscoe Brown passed away on July 2, 2016, at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York. ninety-four years old. His ashes were interred at Arlington National Cemetery on March 9, 2017, his ninety-fifth birthday.
[1] Sam Roberts, “Roscoe C. Brown, Jr., 94, Tuskegee Airman and Political Confidant,” New York Times, July 7, 2016, A17.
[2] Post Editorial Board, “Saying Farewell to an American Hero: Roscoe Brown Jr.,” July 5, 2016, https://nypost.com/2016/07/05/saying-farewell-to-an-american-hero-roscoe-brown-jr/.
[3] Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. – Military Biography
[4] Post Editorial Board, “Saying Farewell to an American Hero: Roscoe Brown Jr.,” July 5, 2016, https://nypost.com/2016/07/05/saying-farewell-to-an-american-hero-roscoe-brown-jr/.
[5]“Famed Tuskegee Airman and Educator, Dr. Roscoe C. Brown Jr. Passes at 94,” July 7, 2016, amsterdamnews.com.
[6] “Famed Tuskegee Airman and Educator, Dr. Roscoe C. Brown Jr. Passes at 94,” July 7, 2016, amsterdamnews.com.
[7] Bradley J. Cardinal, “The National Academy of Kinesiology: Its Founding, Focus, and Future,” Kinesiology Review 11, no. 1 (2022), 6-25.
[8] William Douglas, “WWII Black Pilots, Tuskegee Airmen, Get Top Civilian Honor,” McClatchy Newspapers, March 30, 2007.
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