Maycie Herrington
Maycie Herrington | |
|---|---|
| Born | Maycie Copeland November 7, 1918 |
| Died | May 24, 2016 (aged 97) |
| Education | Washington High School |
| Alma mater | St. Augustine's University |
| Occupation(s) | Black history conservator, community volunteer |
| Spouse | Aaron Herrington |
| Children | Ann Herrington, Kay M. Herrington |
| Parent(s) | Dicie Copeland Thomas Copeland |
Maycie Herrington (November 7, 1918 – May 24, 2016) was an African-American history conservator, social worker, and community volunteer known for her work to preserve the history of the Tuskegee Airmen.[1] She was involved with the Tuskegee Airmen from World War II, when she worked for the Red Cross while her husband Aaron trained to become a fighter pilot.[2] Herrington died on May 24, 2016, at the age of 97.[1][3]
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Maycie Herrington (née Copeland) was born to Thomas and Dicie Copeland on November 7, 1918, in Raleigh, North Carolina.[2][4] Herrington went to the grade school associated with St. Augustine College and then enrolled into the Lucille Hunter School.[4] She received her high school education at Washington High School, graduating 1936.[2]
College years
[edit]Herrington returned to the St. Augustine's University campus to attend college. During her time as an undergraduate, she met Aaron Herrington, a fellow student. She graduated in 1940 with a Bachelor of Science degree.[2]
Marriage and children
[edit]Three years after graduating from college, Herrington married Aaron Herrington in 1943.[2][4] Their daughter Ann was born in 1944.[2] A second child Kay Marie was to be welcomed in 1956 after the couple moved to California.
Tuskegee Airmen experience
[edit]Shortly after their wedding, Aaron Herrington received orders to report to Tuskegee, Alabama, by the military for training as a fighter pilot as part of the Tuskegee Airmen in 1943. Maycie Herrington quit her job at Mechanics and Farmers Bank where she had been working as a bookkeeper in order to join her husband in Tuskegee, Alabama.[4]
She went to work for the Red Cross and interacted with many of the Tuskegee Airmen.[4]
Following the death of her husband in 1995, Herrington assumed his position in the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc and since 1996 has continued his work to memorialize the Tuskegee Airmen.[2] As part of these efforts, she designed and produced a series of trading cards documenting individual members of the Tuskegee Airmen.[4] She became secretary of the organization in 1998.[2]
Social work
[edit]Following World War II, the Herringtons moved to Long Beach, California.[4] Maycie Herrington was hired by the Bureau for Public Assistance as a social worker in 1949, a position that she held for more than 30 years. In this role, she worked with the Long Beach Area Welfare Planning Council United Way. Maycie and Aaron had a second daughter born to them, Kay Marie Herrington, in 1956. She also organized the summer camps and Christmas activities run by the bureau.[4] She retired in 1981.[2]
Awards
[edit]- Hannah G. Solomon Award
- Women Helping Women Award
- Rick Racker Woman of the Year Award
- National Conference for Community and Justice Humanitarian Award[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Zonkel, Phillip (2016-05-25). "Maycie Herrington, 1918-2016: Long Beach woman who preserved Tuskegee Airmen history dies at 97". Press-Telegram. Archived from the original on 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Guide to the Maycie Herrington Papers". Regents of the University of California. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ^ "Maycie Ruth Herrington". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Maycie Herrington". HistoryMakers. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
Further reading
[edit]- Maycie Herrington Papers (0.75 linear feet) are housed in the Special Collections & Archives at the University of California, Riverside
External links
[edit]- Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.
- Tuskegee Airmen, the First American-trained Black Pilots to Fly under Jim Crow Laws, History Captured.
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