Joseph Alfred McNeil (born March 25, 1942) is a retired Major general in the United States Air Force who is best known as a member of the Greensboro Four; a group of African American college students who, on February 1, 1960, sat down at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina challenging the store's policy of denying service to non-white customers.
Early life and education
McNeil was born in Wilmington, North Carolina on March 25, 1942.[1][2] McNeil received his early education from Williston Senior High School and soon after graduation, his parents moved the family to New York.[3] McNeil entered North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, then the Agricultural & Technical College of North Carolina, having been awarded a Full scholarship.[1] A stark contrast from the more open northern society, McNeil found difficulty living in the segregated south.[4]
On February 1, 1960; McNeil, along with three other A&T freshmen: Bennett College, focused on the picketing of segregated downtown Greensboro establishments. McNeil would later participate in negotiations between student protesters, Woolworth’s management, and the Human Relations Commission.[6]
In 1963, McNeil would go on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering physics from North Carolina A&T and was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the university's ROTC program.[1][2]
Military Career
In July of 1963, McNeil was assigned to James Connally Air Force Base near Waco, Texas for Training. From 1964 to 1969, McNeil was assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota where he served as a KC-135 navigator.[2] McNeil spent considerable time in Southeast Asia flying in operations Arc Lite and Young Tiger.[2] During this period, he was promoted to the ranks of First Lieutenant and Captain.[2] In 1972, McNeil served as a navigator instructor, flight commander, executive officer and Commander of the 702nd Military Airlift Squadron at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey.[2] During this time he also served as a liaison officer in for the U.S. Air Force Academy.[2] In 1989, McNeil served as special assistant to the Vice Commander and Commander of the 514th Airlift Wing at McGuire Air Force Base. During this time, McNeil was promoted to the ranks of Major, Lieutenant Colonel, and Colonel.[2]
After leaving active duty in 1969 with the rank of captain, McNeil continued to serve in the Air Force Reserves. From 1992 to 1995, he served as Vice Commander, and later Commander of the 22nd Air Force stationed at [2]
Civilian Career
As a traditional Reservist, McNeil was able to develop a civilian career while continuing to serve in the U.S. Air Force. McNeil established himself in the private and public sectors with time spent in [7] In 2002, two years removed from his retirement from the military, McNeil retired from the Federal Aviation Administration, which he served for over 15 years.
Civilian honors and legacy
McNeil hold three honorary doctorates; a Doctor of Philosophy degree from his alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University in 1991; a Doctor of Laws degree from St. John's University in 1998; and a Doctor of Humanities from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2010.[2][8]
In 2002, North Carolina A&T commissioned a statue to be sculpted honoring McNeil, along with the three other members of the A&T four; Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, Jr. (later known as Jibreel Khazan), and David Richmond. In addition, the four men each have residence halls named for them on the university campus.[9] In 2010, McNeil was the recipient of the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal from the Smithsonian Institution.[10]
Personal life
McNeil is married to Ina McNeil (nee Brown). Brown, an accomplished [2]
External links
-
Oral history interview with Joseph McNeil by Eugene Pfaff
References
-
^ a b c "The A&T Four". F.D. Bluford Library Archives. North Carolina A&T State University. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
-
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Major General Joseph A. McNeil". United States Air Force website. U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
-
^ "Jospeh McNeil Bio". februaryonedocumentary.com. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
-
^ "Joseph McNeil". Februaryonedocumentary.com. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
-
^ "The Greensboro Four", North Carolina Museum of History. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
-
^ "Joseph McNeil Biography". TheBlackPast.org. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
-
^ "Joseph McNeil Biography". Civil Rights Digital Library. Digital Library of Georgia. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
-
^ a b "UNC Wilmington to Award Honorary Doctorate to Joseph A. McNeil during Spring Commencement". uncw.edu. University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
-
^ "A&T History". F.D. Bluford Library Archives website. NC A&T- Ferdinand D. Bluford Library. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
-
^ Trescott, Jacqueline (5 February 2010). "50 years later, Greensboro Four get Smithsonian award for civil rights actions". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company). Retrieved 20 June 2014.
|
|
|
|
Events
(timeline)
|
|
|
|
|
Related
|
|
|
|
Activist
groups
|
|
|
|
|
Activists
|
|
|
|
|
Influences
|
|
|
|
Noted
historians
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Company
|
|
|
|
|
Buildings
|
|
|
|
|
Culture
|
|
|
|
|
Events
|
|
|
|
|
Civil Rights
|
|
|
|
|
Family
|
|
|
This article was sourced from Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. World Heritage Encyclopedia content is assembled from numerous content providers, Open Access Publishing, and in compliance with The Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR), Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., Public Library of Science, The Encyclopedia of Life, Open Book Publishers (OBP), PubMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and USA.gov, which sources content from all federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government publication portals (.gov, .mil, .edu). Funding for USA.gov and content contributors is made possible from the U.S. Congress, E-Government Act of 2002.
Crowd sourced content that is contributed to World Heritage Encyclopedia is peer reviewed and edited by our editorial staff to ensure quality scholarly research articles.
By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. World Heritage Encyclopedia™ is a registered trademark of the World Public Library Association, a non-profit organization.