From: Shields, Theodosia [mailto:tshields@NCCU.EDU] Sent: Friday, January 06, 2012 10:58 AM To: Sandra Phoenix Subject: FW: With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Dr. Stewart B "Twiggy" Fulbright, 92. Hi Sandra, Happy New Year! Hope all is well. Please see the announcement below. Thanks. Theodosia T. Shields, Ph.D. Director of Library Services & Assistant Professor North Carolina Central University 1801 Fayetteville Street Durham, NC 27707 (919) 530-5233 office (919) 530-7612 fax tshields@nccu.edu<mailto:tshields@nccu.edu> "Transforming Shepard Library to Better Serve NCCU Students, Faculty & Staff " Subject: With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Dr. Stewart B "Twiggy" Fulbright, 92. Late trailblazer flew through racism, landed with class [cid:image002.jpg@01CCCB8F.92341370]<http://assets.matchbin.com/sites/659/assets/EWTQ_15014900_5airman.JPG> Stewart Fulbright sits with a 1944 portrait of himself and wife, Della, in this 2007 photo. Dr. Fulbright, who broke numerous barriers through his life, died New Year's Day. DURHAM -- Having blazed his last trail, Dr. Stewart "Twiggy" Fulbright died on New Year's Day after a long life in which he stood up to racism and rubbed elbows with greatness. "We can still see his smile and hear his laughter," Dr. Fulbright's family said in a statement. "(He) had one of those smiles that would light up a room and laughter that was contagious. At the top of the year, we lost one of our legends." He was legendary. The man did a whole lot during his 92 years. Seven decades ago when the United States became engaged in World War II, black people were deemed too ignorant to fly airplanes. After demands were made for equality, the federal government set up a training facility in Tuskegee, Ala., where black pilots readied for the war. Dr. Fulbright was one of those pilots, earning his wings in 1943. He was a bomber pilot, although he never flew in the war. According to Dr. Fulbright in previous interviews, the feds didn't want black bomber pilots like him duplicating the success of black fighter pilots and, consequently, outshining white pilots. During the war, Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilots very successfully escorted white pilots flying bombers. "Never lost a bomber," Dr. Fulbright once told The Herald-Sun. "No other group can make that claim." Some 70 years after voluntarily serving America as one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, Dr. Fulbright in 2007 was in Washington, D.C., both shaking hands with former Secretary of State Colin Powell and President George W. Bush and, along with other Tuskegee Airmen, receiving the Congressional Gold Medal. Years before that, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Dr. Fulbright to the advisory committee for the Commodity Credit Corp. Dr. Fulbright was born in Springfield, Mo. Before going off to serve the country, he earned a bachelor's degree from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, where he was a professor of French. Upon securing a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago, Dr. Fulbright accepted an instructor's position that paid $2,860 at what would become N.C. Central University. Dr. Fulbright said that was the best offer on the table for him at that time, and that's how he got to Durham. Dr. Fulbright left the Bull City but came back after becoming one of the first 10 black people to earn a doctorate degree from Ohio State University. The groundbreaking pilot leaves a world in turmoil with ravaged economies and political unrest, but those who knew the first dean of NCCU's business school would say he did his part to make this land a better place. Dr. Fulbright is survived by his wife, Della; son, Edward (Genevia); daughter, Gina Fulbright-Powell (Chris); and granddaughter, Camille. The family on Saturday will receive friends from noon to 1 p.m. at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Durham. Dr. Fulbright's homegoing service is scheduled for 1 p.m. following that visitation. Dr. Fulbright's family would prefer contributions, rather than flowers, go toward causes in his honor. Donations may be sent to the NCCU Foundation, P.O. Box 19363, Durham, N.C. 27707. Be sure to indicate in the memo section of a check that the gift is for the Dr. Stewart B. Fulbright Memorial Fund. Or contribute online at www.nccu.edu/donation<http://www.nccu.edu/donation>. Select "School of Business" as the fund designation and indicate "Dr. Stewart B. Fulbright Memorial Fund" in the designation instructions. As well, donations may be sent to the building fund at Covenant Presbyterian, 2620 Weaver St., Durham N.C. 27707. Dr. Fulbright was a trustee at the church and sang in the senior choir. Darlene Laws North Carolina Central University School of Business 221 C. T. Willis Commerce Building P.O. Box 19761 Durham, NC 27707 (919) 530-6458 (919) 530-6163 "Nothing is impossible; the word itself says "I'm possible." Audrey Hepburn ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. For more information please visit http://www.symanteccloud.com ______________________________________________________________________