Category Archives: African Americans

Artie Matthews (ragtime composer)

Posted on November 7, 2014 by editor

Acclaimed ragtime composer Artie Matthews apparently got his start as a musician in the bars and bordellos of Springfield’s old Levee district. After composing such ragtime classics as Weary Blues — later recorded by, among others, Louis Armstrong, King Oliver … Continue reading →

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William Washington (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Born in Springfield, William Washington graduated from Lanphier High School and Springfield Junior College.  He held various jobs until he started the Springfield’s Voice newspaper in 1972.  In an interview for the Springfield African-American History Foundation series, Washington talked about … Continue reading →

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Carmelita Hogan Washington (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Springfield native Carmelita Hogan Washington, a graduate of Feitshans High School and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, worked in human resources at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and Sangamon State/University of Illinois Springfield. In an interview for the Springfield African-American History … Continue reading →

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Peggie Senor (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Peggie Senor attended Feitshans High School and Springfield Junior College and married Clarence Senor in 1952; they had seven children. She later was ordained as an Elder in her church and served the ministry in various ways in Springfield and … Continue reading →

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Charles Lockhart Jr. (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Springfield native Charles Lockhart Jr. (1927-2013) played in the Feitshans High School band and Springfield’s Colored Municipal Band, then was a member of the U.S. Navy Band while in the service. Returning from the Navy, he first worked for Allis-Chalmers … Continue reading →

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Leroy Jordan (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Leroy Jordan, who moved to Springfield in 1965, was the first Black male classroom teacher in the Springfield public schools. (The first African-American teacher overall was Mae Hammons, who began classroom teaching at Iles School in 1955.) Jordan later spent … Continue reading →

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Georgia Hale (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Georgia Hale, born in rural Missouri, where she attended segregated schools, moved to Springfield in 1942. Hale became the first black teller at the former Central Illinois Light Co. In an interview for the Springfield African-American History Foundation series, Hale … Continue reading →

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Robert Goza (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Robert Goza, a Missouri native, moved to Springfield in 1952 after marrying Marian Ritchie.  He was an early accounting computer specialist with the state of Illinois and active in Scouting and the NAACP.  In an interview for the Springfield African-American … Continue reading →

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Marian Goza (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Marian Goza, a Springfield native, spent 38 years as a medical technologist at Memorial Medical Center. In an interview for the Springfield African-American History Foundation series, she discussed her career, her family, and involvement in Scouting and the NAACP.

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Jessie Mae Finley (African-American history interviews)

Posted on September 21, 2014 by editor

Born in Springfield, Danville (see below — ed.), Jessie Mae Finley (1906-2006) was a talented musician and founder of the Voices of Love, Joy and Peace. She also worked for the state of Illinois. Finley was named Springfield’s First Citizen in 1976. In … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Arts and letters, Ethnic groups, First Citizens, Prominent figures | 7 Comments