A house RESOLUTION

 

To recognize and Honor the late lieutenant colonel Charity Adams Earley for her many accomplishments and contributions to the United States of America.

 

Whereas, born in Kitrell, North Carolina, on December 5, 1918, Charity Adams Earley was raised by her father, a minister, and her mother, a former teacher. Earley proved to be intellectually gifted from a young age, and she used her gift to serve her country by becoming the highest-ranking Black woman officer in World War II and by paving the way for other Black women in the military; and

 

Whereas, Earley graduated as valedictorian from Booker T. Washington High School and went on to attend Wilberforce University of Ohio, one of the best African American universities at the time. In college she was very active in school groups and participated in organizations such as the university's branches of the NAACP, the Women's Self-Government Association, and the sorority Delta Sigma Theta. She graduated in 1938 with majors in Latin, physics, and mathematics; and

 

Whereas, after the United States joined World War II, the Women's Army Corps (WAC) was created. Earley joined in 1942 and was commissioned that August at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, where she stayed until 1944. She quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to major in 1943, and by the end of 1944 she had become the commanding officer of the 6888^th Central Postal Directory Battalion. Nicknamed the "Six Triple Eight", the battalion was the first unit of WAC African Americans to go overseas. The battalion worked to organize and distribute undelivered mail to U.S. service members and by the end of World War II they had cleared over 17 million pieces of backlogged mail, playing a huge role in boosting morale. In December of 1945, she was promoted to the highest possible rank for a soldier in the WAC, Lieutenant Colonel.  Earley requested to be discharged from active duty in March of 1946 and was presented with a Scroll of Honor for distinguished service to the military by the National Council of Negro Women Inc.; and

 

Whereas, after her service Earley continued her education at OSU before working at the Veterans Administration as a registration officer. She then married Stanley A. Earley Jr., in 1949 and together they moved to Switzerland where she attended the University of Zurich. After returning to the United States in 1952, she devoted the rest of her life to activism and education, serving as a dean for multiple universities and organizations. In 1982 she founded the Black Leadership Development Program to educate and train Black Americans to be leaders in their communities. Earley died in 2002 at the age of 83 in Dayton, Ohio. Because of her outstanding accomplishments, her name was recently selected by the Army as part of the Naming Commission recommendations, as part of the Army's effort to rename installations previously named after Confederate officers; and

 

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives take great pride this Black History Month in recognizing the accomplishments that Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley achieved during her lifetime. Her hard work and contributions have not gone unnoticed, and the impact she has had on this great nation is remarkable. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

 

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor the late Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley for her many accomplishments and contributions to the United States of America.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams Earley.

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