Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell

Proclamation issued on August 30, 2012

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WHEREAS, Mr. George William Hickman, Jr., was born on August 6, 1924 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the son and eldest child of George and Corean (Jordan) Hickman, and the grandson of slaves; and

WHEREAS, George W. Hickman, Jr., adored his family — his wife, Doris Baptist Crawford Hickman, daughter Regina Hickman Melonson, daughter Sherie Hickman Gaines, son Vincent Hickman, and daughter Shauneil Hickman Robinson. George has three sons-in-law: Wayne Melonson, Vincent Gaines and Dean Robinson; five grandchildren, two great grandsons, an aunt, many cousins, and other relatives and friends throughout the country; and

WHEREAS, George W. Hickman, Jr.’s extraordinary interest and great love of airplanes lead him to join the Air Force in World War II, and become one of the Tuskegee Airmen, a select group of African-American fighter pilots. George was a part of the 99th Air Squadron who broke down barriers because many people believed African Americans were not capable of being pilots; and

WHEREAS, George W. Hickman, Jr., in spite of adversity and limited opportunities, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. George’s experience as a Tuskegee Airmen, along with his engineering brilliance, earned him a career at the Boeing Company in Seattle, WA; and

WHEREAS, the persecution, abuse, and violence suffered by many African American veterans, as well as the courage and dedication of George W. Hickman, Jr. and the Tuskegee Airmen, persuaded President Harry S. Truman to sign Executive Order 9981, which backed civil rights initiatives and desegregated the United States Armed Forces. His actions paved the way towards integration of our country; and

WHEREAS, George W. Hickman, Jr., and the surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen were called to Washington, D.C. in 2007, to receive the Congressional Gold Medal; and

WHEREAS, George W. Hickman, Jr., and the surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen were invited by then President-elect Obama to attend the 2009 inauguration of the country’s first black president; and,

WHEREAS, George W. Hickman, Jr., served his community through volunteering his time to be a volunteer organizer for the Special Olympics, coach basketball for the Seattle Catholic Youth Organization, serve as Vice President of the Seattle Black Catholic Lay Caucus, serve as a member of the Catholic Diocesan School Board and President of St. Joseph’s Catholic School Board; and

WHEREAS, George W. Hickman, Jr., was honored by the Fulcrum Foundation in 2008 for his long-time support and dedication to Catholic education in the Northwest; and

WHEREAS, George W. Hickman, Jr., in later years, was a beloved usher at University of Washington and
Seattle Seahawks games, where he greeted the public and athletes with an encouraging handshake or high-five and a smile as bright as a ray of sunshine. He was like a living history book and once said, “You don’t get anywhere in life if you’re angry. And besides, things are getting better”; and

WHEREAS, George W. Hickman, Jr., is an American hero, because he showed us how to not forget the past, but to focus on our future – America’s future — and to treat each other with humility, selflessness, compassion, and honest-to-goodness friendship; and

WHEREAS, It has been said before that “Some people do great things, while others are simply great, no matter what they do. George William Hickman, Jr., represented the best of both.” George, you have earned your wings!

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL
THAT AUGUST 30, 2012, IS
George William Hickman, Jr. Day