Mr. James Louis Ellington
Mr. James Louis Ellington was born June 16, 1926 to the late Charlie and Penny Ellington of McKinley Street in Dublin’s Scottsville neighborhood. Known in Dublin as “Chick,” Mr. Ellington was a Navy veteran of World War II. Upon returning home from the war, he found work at the New Dublin Hotel. Through hard work and dedication, “Chick” Ellington became the head bartender at the Dublin Elks Lodge. During fifty-eight years of service, Mr. Ellington made countless memories and friends. He was known be a great listener and a sound source for advice. Much like a professional therapist, “Chick” vowed that any problem confided at his bar would remain between him and the confessing patron. He adored his job and always stated that bartending taught him “the goodness of people.”
Married to Lydia Coney Ellington for 65 years, “Chick” was blessed with eight children. Although bartending was a passion, he always kept multiple jobs to provide for his family. The most notable of those positions was acting as the first Black Dietician at the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center. Mr. Ellington acted as both bartender and dietician for thirty years. Even after his retirement from the VA in 1983, he continued to work at the Elks Lodge and was honored on Martin Luther King Jr. Day via initiation as the club’s First Black Member with a lifetime membership. “Chick” Ellington passed on November 5, 2015.
Rev. Clarence Jackson, Jr.
Rev. Clarence Jackson, Jr. settled in Dublin-Laurens County in August of 1963 when he accepted a position to teach both Social Studies and Band at Mary Fleming Elementary and High School. Many musicians in Dublin-Laurens County received their first musical training due to his love of teaching as he was also the first and only black band director at West Laurens High School from 1974-1976. During his tenure, Rev. Jackson was a trailblazer, utilizing strong leadership to unite both black and white students through the band program. In addition to band, Rev. Jackson also organized and trained the first flag team at West Laurens High School. Further, Rev. Jackson was active in his faith and the local community. He was ordained by the African Methodist Episcopal Church and was a Member, Trustee, Choir Director and Christian Ed. Director at St. Paul AME Church. He was a member of the Dublin St. Patrick’s Festival Committee. And, during the 1980’s, Rev. Jackson directed the Golden Age Choir, a community choir for senior citizens. As a devoted husband to Evelyn Delores Lyons, and loving father of four sons, Craig, Wayne, Ryan, and Britt, Rev. Jackson was surrounded by uplifting support in all of his community endeavors.
Ralph Daniel, Sr.
Ralph Daniel, Sr. was born May 25, 1923 in Dublin, GA. He was a self-educated man because African-American males were not permitted to attend school during this time. Dedicated to learning, it is said that he never went to bed without reading at least one paragraph of a book. Mr. Daniel was forced to postpone his education in the second grade; however, he eventually earned a GED on October 17, 1969. His union to Nunie Bell Isaac on November 16, 1943 produced thirteen children, to which he passed on the importance of education. By Mr. Daniel’s steadfast guidance, those children now hold titles among nurses, lawyers, PHDs, psychologist, and business owners. In 1970, Mr. Daniel was recognized by the Atlanta Journal & Constitution for building an 8-room family home made of brick while also working a farm and raising thirteen children. In addition to being a devoted family man, Mr. Daniel was a well-known community servant dedicated to feeding and visiting the elderly, sick, and shut-in population. He offered food through his garden as well as provided firewood to keep others warm. Mr. Daniel left quite a legacy upon his passing on September 9, 2009.
Walter E. McCall
If there was ever a way in which Walter E. McCall could help his community, he was always willing and ready to serve. Mr. McCall was a long-time, beloved resident of the Scottsville neighborhood, where he spent many afternoons on his front porch mentoring young boys. He was devoted to his church, his family, and his friends, and contributed significantly to the rich history of Dublin and Laurens County.
During his years as a faithful and dedicated civil servant, Mr. McCall served 26 years as a member of the Dublin-Laurens Chamber of Commerce. He also served for more than a decade on the Dublin Parks and Recreation Board, the Solid Waste Board, and the Dublin-Laurens Development Authority. During his tenure with the Development Authority, Mr. McCall assisted in the expansion of Southeast Paper, Flexsteel, Steel Fab and many other industries and projects including the Welcome Center, an airport terminal building, the McGrath Keen Center, and the bypass project.
Mr. McCall was a Rotarian and served as chairman for 2 years. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and a volunteer for the Certified Literacy Community Program and Habitat for Humanity. He was also a member of the founding Board of Directors for Communities in Schools of Laurens County. In January 1995, he received the City of Dublin’s most prestigious recognition, the Golden Shamrock Award, for his service.
Willie Chester Burke
Willie Chester Burke, a long-time resident of Dublin, was a beloved teacher and principal. During the 1960’s and 70’s, he taught science at Millville High School and biology and chemistry at West and later principal of West Laurens Junior High School. He was recognized as “Principal of the Year” by the Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering, and after 24 years, he retired from education.
In his second career, Mr. Burke became the first African American in Dublin and Laurens County to become a licensed State Farm Agent. He was very successful and was recognized as such when he was listed in the A.M. Best Top 20 for his insurance company monitoring service and for offering a full range of insurance packages and coverage.
Other accolades for Mr. Burke include the 1998 Outstanding Gentleman’s Award from the Dublin Laurens Black Festival Community Committee for his faithful dedication and supportive efforts toward the advancement of African American heritage, pride, and tradition. Additionally, he was a member of the Optimist Club, in which he was recognized for his devoted and unselfish service to the welfare of the community and nation.
Mr. Burke was a faithful member of St. Paul A.M.E. Church and a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He is the late husband of Mrs. Genola A. Burke and was a devoted and supportive father of 4 children and 13 grandchildren.
Entrepreneur
From earning Laurens County’s first commission as a notary public in 1916 to opening businesses on East Jackson Street and Madison Street, Hub Dudley built a flurry of businesses to meet needs of the black community. He provided employment, apprenticeships, and empowerment. In other areas of Dublin, he operated a saw mill, Dudley Cemetery, and helped fundraise for and expand Dublin’s Georgia Negro 4-H Camp. With the establishment of Dudley Motel, Cafe, and Amoco service station #2 on East Jackson Street, he provided food, lodging, fuel, and most importantly, safety to blacks traveling across Georgia in the 1940s – 1960s. The promise of safety and comfort attracted leaders of the Civil Rights movement like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson, and Reverend Ralph Abernathy. Dudley’s wife, Mayme, played a key role too: She was friends with Dr. Irene Dobbs Jackson, Maynard Jackson’s mother.
Emery C. Thomas
Role Model
Emery C. Thomas was a Laurens County Farm Agent who helped thousands of African American farmers through the Depression and the hard economic times which still plagued African Americans. Thomas was one of those responsible for the establishment of the Georgia 4-H Club for black youth in Dublin in 1957. The local Red Cross sent Thomas to aquatic school to become qualified to teach first aid and swimming in the Dublin 4-H pool. Emery Thomas was a radio host to "Tom's Ag Show" broadcast from WMLT in Dublin and the owner of the Thomas Convenient Store on East Gaines Street. Four years prior to his retirement, he served as the first black member of the Dublin City Council.
The Emery C. Thomas Auditorium was named in his honor and still stands on the Riverview Golf Course.
In 2022, the Emery Thomas Auditorium was officially listed to the National Register of Historic Places.
Warren McLendon, Jr.
Driving Change
Warren McLendon, Jr. was one of the first black deputies of the Laurens County Sheriff Department. He served the citizens of Laurens County in that capacity for over twenty years. He co-owned the school bus transportation system for the City of Dublin and was instrumental in helping qualified blacks be elected into governmental positions.
Dr. Henry Thomas Jones
Healer
Henry Thomas Jones, Sr. was born on October 3rd, 1875 in Hepzibah, Georgia. Like many of his local colleagues, Jones attended Georgia State College in Savannah. Dr. Jones graduated on February 21st, 1900 from Meharry Medical College, where he was the first of his class to graduate under the four year program.
Jones began his practice in Dublin on September 23, 1901 and continued practicing until his death on July 29, 1945.
Henry Jones married Theodosia Hinton of Warrenton, Georgia. By faith, Dr. Jones was Baptist and served as a Sunday school teacher and a deacon of First African Baptist Church. Civically, Dr. Jones was a Knight of Pythias and a 33rd degree Mason.
John Wesley Pooler, Sr.
Soldier
At the age of 21, John Wesley Pooler, Sr. served in the 92nd Infantry with the Buffalo Soldiers, the only African American unit to see combat in Europe during World War II. He served as a light mortar crewman; his job was to fire the 60mm mortar which was used for fire support for infantry, you had to be trained and skilled to do this job, not everyone could do this.
His service took him through trenches in Italy and woods of Germany. After serving in the military John Pooler went on the work at Carl Vinson VA for twenty years. In 2017, 13 WMAZ interviewed him concerning his service as a Buffalo Soldier. His children purchased a brick with his name on it that will be at the Carl Vinson Medical Center in Dublin, GA. Read more HERE.
Ruby Jefferson
Mother
Mrs. Ruby Dell Jefferson, a.k.a Mother Jefferson, was born in Dublin, Georgia, on October 12, 1921, to Mr. Matthew and Mrs. Bell Thomas. In her adult life, she married Deacon Quinton Jefferson, Sr. of Danville, Georgia. They were the proud parents of ten children, five girls and five boys. Namely, from oldest to youngest: Annie, James, Quinton, Wesley, Maudine, Barbara, Gwendolyn, Brenda , Brady, and Gary.
In 1966, Mother Jefferson was named Parent-of-the-Year of the District Parent Teacher Association (PTA) of Laurens County and surrounding counties in Middle Georgia for recognition of her time (chaperoning and participating in various events) and leadership (launching fundraisers). For over twenty-five years, she was a stay-at-home mom to ensure that she spent quality time with her children. She asserted herself as a custodian of the community requiring her children to help children in the neighborhood with their homework assignments and take care of the elderly by running errands for them and doing whatever was necessary to make their lives more comfortable.
Demonstrating a passion for elevating, educating, and providing sustenance to the community, Mother Jefferson was afforded the opportunity to collaborate with agencies through employment to share her passion to the broader community. For fifteen years (1965 to 1980), sponsored by the University of Georgia Extension Service, she went from door to door teaching nutrition lessons to homemakers and providing them with healthy recipes. Her individualized instruction was impressionable; therefore, preventing potential diseases and promoting healthy well-being. In 1974, University of Georgia Extension Service recognized her thoroughly planned lessons and unprecedented commitment through the presentation of an award for Nutrition Aide of the Year amongst over two hundred and fifty peers throughout the state of Georgia.
While visiting and teaching in homes, Mother Jefferson observed children, preschool age, playing too much and watching too much television. Subsequently, she became interested in early childhood education to give underserved children a head start. As she witnessed housewives' knowledge of nutrition and healthy recipes manifesting through conversations at church, Bible study, grocery stores, etc., she realized employment was not a necessary platform. Talking nutrition became as common as talking weather. To say the least, she felt she reached the pinnacle of her goal to increase families' knowledge of nutrition and how to create healthy recipes.
Subsequently, in the next decade (1980 to 1990), Mother Jefferson gained employment with Dublin Headstart as a Paraprofessional. Over ten years, she recruited over three hundred children to the school. Her goal was that all children should get the opportunity to acquire adequate learning experiences that prepare them for school. For this endeavor, she was named the Paraprofessional-of- the- Year. Her passion drove her to establish the first Headstart in East Dublin, Georgia, which is located on Ruby Dell Jefferson Drive, named in her honor.
In the meantime, she served her community. She coordinated and sponsored transportation for senior citizens on a monthly basis to Heart of Georgia Community meetings to keep them abreast of community resources that could impact their quality of life. During her leisure time, she assisted low-income citizens with paying their utility bills, directing the homeless to the proper places to find free food and shelter, and informing the elderly on the correct processes to follow to receive assistance to winterize their homes. With the community's need in mind, she assisted the Catholic church in establishing the First Food Bank in Dublin, Georgia. On other occasions, she created political forums with citizens of the community to discuss the community's needs and issues and elect the best candidate for office.
Mother Jefferson served as a Crusader of Cancer (fundraiser) in the East Dublin African American Community, Treasurer of the East Dublin Development Committee, and served on the East Dublin Zoning Board.
In 1990, the Dublin-Laurens County Black Festival Committee named her Senior Citizen of the Year. The following year, Governor Joe Frank Harris recognized her with the Ambassador of the Community Award for her strong organizational skills and ability to effect change. Finally, Mayor George Gornto of East Dublin, Georgia declared November 16, her expiration date, as Mother Ruby Dell Jefferson Day of East Dublin, Georgia.
Mother Jefferson was a devoted member of Williams Chapel Baptist Church. She served as the legendary Mother of the Church and Chairmen of the Deaconess Board for over twenty-five years. She was instrumental in growing Williams Chapel to become a service magnet in the Dublin Community, spiritually, socially and economically. Rev. Dr. Eddie Lee Hixon is pastor.
In 2018, Gary D. Jefferson, her son, and the other family members established the Mother Ruby Dell Jefferson Foundation (MRDJ) which is a registered 501(c3) charity. In 2018, it donated eight bicycles and helmets to the Dublin Middle School. The students won them based on their essays on “Why Do I Deserve a Bicycle?” The following year, 2019, the MRDJ Foundation donated ten bicycles and helmets including a check of two thousand and five hundred dollars to the Dublin Salvation Army.
Rev. James Robert Travick Jr.
Builder
Rev. James Robert Travick Jr. graduated from Oconee High School & furthered his studies at Denmark Area Trade School in Denmark South Carolina studying construction and carpentry. After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Army & served in Korea performing construction and rebuilding as well as transport. Once his service was fulfilled, he returned to Dublin and eventually founded the Travick General Construction Company where he worked throughout the area building residential homes, some commercial buildings such as the Circle-Y Restaurant, and many churches throughout surrounding counties. He became Laurens County’s first black county commissioner serving District 1 and served on the board for 12 years. During that time, the commissioners worked together to pave many county roads. One of the biggest tasks was the relocating of the county landfill once the original landfill at the time reached capacity. Presently, Rev. Travick serves the community and as a pastor of the Nu-Hope Baptist Church, which he founded. Through his leadership at the church, the building has grown to encompass almost an entire block in the Telfair Community. During his lifetime, he has also been a member of the Masons, NAACP, and other civic organizations.
Bonita Williams
Founder
Mrs. Williams was extremely active in the Dublin-Laurens County community, her church First African Baptist, and devoted to her family. She was involved in a number of community organizations and served in multiple capacities. As a founding member of the Dublin-Laurens County Black Festival Committee, she was instrumental in organizing and implementing a month-long celebration to recognize the social, civic, and religious achievements of local African American citizens. In 1997, she was honored as “Woman of the Year” by the Black Festival Committee. It was under her leadership that the history of the citizens that are currently displayed on the Black History banners hung throughout Downtown Dublin. After retiring, she volunteered her time & talents as a Pink Lady at Fairview Park Hospital where she was awarded the First Humanitarian Award in 2008. She was a forceful advocate for the Southside Community Association and utilized her resources by serving on the Housing Task Force & as Vice-Chairperson of the City of Dublin Planning & Zoning Committee. She was featured in Georgia Trend February 2008 issue. She worked tirelessly for the Southside Beautification project to clean up run down & dilapidated properties & to bring more businesses to the Southside. She introduced the Beautillion Scholarship Program in 2008 to introduce young men ages 12 to 18 to society.
Dent Jackson Jr.
First
Dent Jackson Jr. became the first Black sworn in police officer for the City of Dublin and later the first Black policeman & fireman to serve in the City of East Dublin. He was the first Black councilman of East Dublin & served on the council for almost 39 years. He served 4 years as Mayor Pro-Tem. He was a Mason, & a member of Williams Chapel Baptist Church for 68 plus years. He served in various capacities in the community such as the Laurens County Hospital Authority Board, Laurens County Emergency Medical Service Advisor Committee, Housing Authority of Dublin, East Laurens Elementary School Council. In 2019, the East Dublin City Council named May 1st as Dent Jackson Jr. Day. He was honored by the Georgia Municipal Association with a Lifetime Service Award for his many years in public service. In addition to serving in these capacities, Mr. Jackson owned and operated many businesses while working on other jobs. He owned a wood and delivery company, septic tank & sewage business, sanitation pickup, and Jackson’s Barbeque & Catering.
Thomasenor Pearson
Mrs. Thomasenor Pearson received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College and did post graduate work at Fort Valley State University and Pennsylvania State University. As a teacher, she taught at Danville Elementary School, Wilkinson County School System, and worked as the first arts teacher in the Laurens County School System at all three schools before system integration. She served the community as an owner of the Dudley Funeral Home of Dublin, Thomasenor’s Beauty & Barber Shop, and Dudley’s Retreat Café. She served the state and county in various capacities including as a board member for the following organizations; the Georgia Governors Council for Arts and Humanities, The American Cancer Society, Dublin Communities in Schools, Laurens County Department of Family and Children Services, and for Three Rivers Home Health. She served on the St. Patrick’s Order of Blarney Stones as member and chairperson, the Laurens County Historical Society Inc, Dublin-Laurens Branch of the NAACP, and the Dublin-Laurens County Chamber of Commerce, and she was a member of Saint Paul A.M.E. Church. She received numerous awards and recognitions over the years including Woman of the Year from the Dublin-Laurens Black Festival Community Committee.
Roscoe Brower
Roscoe Brower was a graduate of Douglass High school in Thomasville & then matriculated on an athletic scholarship in football at Savannah State University and received his Bachelors Degree in Industrial Arts Education with a minor in Athletics. Upon graduating, he moved to Dublin and became the Industrial Arts education teacher at the newly constructed Oconee High School. During his time there, he served as a track and football coach. After that school closed, he moved to Dublin Junior High School, and served as their Industrial Arts teacher and served as the Vocational Education Chairman for the Dublin City School System for ten years. He officiated basketball games with Georgia High school Association for over twenty years. After retiring from the school system, he later became a full-time employee with the Dublin Laurens County Parks & Recreation Department serving as the Director of the Oconee Community Center where his dedication to positively impacting the lives of children and young people will be felt for generations. He represented his constituents as Laurens County Commissioner of District 1 for 25 years. He was a member of numerous organizations such as Life Member of Savannah State University Alumni, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Leadership Dublin-Laurens, Rotary Club, Optimist Club, Life Member of NAACP, Rural Development Commission, Heart of Georgia Community Action Agency Council, Retired Teachers Association, Black Festival Committee, & the National Association of County Officials.
Charles Wesley Manning
Charles Manning dedicated his life to education. It was during his years as a principal, he was able to impact so many in the Dublin community. He was invited to Dublin, GA to become the principal of Oconee High school and served from 1959-1970, navigating the school and the community through the tumultuous time of integration. After integration, he became the principal of Central Elementary School where he continued to be a role model for men and women of all races, but especially those in the African American community. After retiring from the school system, he embarked on a career in the justice system and served as a Magistrate Court Judge from 1981-2010. He was involved in many community organizations and paved the way for many African Americans in Dublin by breaking the color barrier in many organizations. He was on the Board of Dublin Parks & Recreation, Black History Festival Committee, Dublin St. Patrick’s Committee, the Riverview Park Golf Course Board, State of Georgia’s Barber Board, the Heart of Georgia Community Action Council, and was a founding member of Washington Street Presbyterian Church as well as the Pi Eta Lambda Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He was a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha.
