Ozell Sutton (December 13, 1925 – December 19, 2015) was among the first Black members of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal. He was named one of the 100 most influential Black Americans by Ebony magazine.
Ozell Sutton | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 13, 1925 Gould, Arkansas, US |
| Died | December 19, 2015 (aged 90) Atlanta, Georgia, US |
| Alma mater | Philander Smith College |
| Honours | Congressional Gold Medal |
Early life
editSutton was born on December 13, 1925 outside of the town of Gould in Lincoln County, Arkansas.[1] His family moved to Little Rock, Arkansas and he graduated from Dunbar High School.[1]
He was among the first Black members of the U.S. Marine Corps.[1]
Sutton received his undergraduate degree in 1950 from Philander Smith College.[1]
Career
editSutton worked at the Little Rock Democrat newspaper.[1]
Sutton worked for Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller as the director of the Governor's Council on Human Resources.[1] He was a founding member of the executive board of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.[1] Sutton moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he worked for the United States Department of Justice Community Relations Service.[2]
Personal life
editHe marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963 in the historic March on Washington D.C., and in 1965 in the Selma to Montgomery marches.[2]
Sutton was the 26th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. As president, he was named one of the 100 most influential Black Americans by Ebony magazine.[2]
He died in Atlanta on December 19, 2015, at the age of 90.[3]
Honors
editIn 1962, he received an honorary doctorate from Philander Smith in recognition of his political activism in the civil rights movement.[2]
In 2012, he was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal from President Barack Obama for being among the first Black members of the U.S. Marine Corps.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Mason, Herman (1999). "Ozell Sutton". The Talented Tenth: The Founders and Presidents of Alpha (2nd ed.). Winter Park, FL: Four-G. ISBN 1-885066-63-5.
- ^ a b c d "Ozell Sutton—Biography". The Central Arkansas Library System. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
- ^ Civil Rights Activist Ozell Sutton dies
- ^ "Alpha Phi Alpha members honored with the Congressional Gold Medal". Copy Line News Magazine. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 2012-07-21.