Portland, Oregon
PORTL
ERYER
VOLUME XIX NUMBER 28
JULY 20,1989
SENIORS of the WEEK
by Jimi Johnson
Married 53 years ago on Easter Sunday, Mr. & Mrs. Ulysess and Beatrice Leverett came to Portland in 1942.
As did many African-Americans coming to the Northwest during that period, Mr. Leverett found steady
employment at the Willamette shipyard.
The Leverett;s are active members of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church and have received numberous awards for
service to the church and community.
A Civil Rights Activist, Ulysess Leverett at one time served as Vice President of the Portland NAACP, and
his wife Beatrice has served on The Urban League Guild for the past 25 years. “ We never take part in anything
we don’t believe in” stated Ulysess Leverett, whose den is adorned with trophies, plaques and certificates
awarded him and his wife throughout the years.
A bridge enthusiast, Mr. Leverett was instrumental in getting a chapter of The American Bridge Association
established in Portland Oregon, in 1979. Mrs. Leverett also enjoys a good game of bridge.
A life time Jefferson High School “ Dad, University of Oregon “ Dad” , and Howard University “ Dad:, 77
year old Ulysess Leverett say’s “ You come into this world with nothing, everything belongs to God.How you
disburse it is up to you. You will be held accountable.” Mrs. Leverett says, “ Realize young people that you are
somebody, and select your friends carefully” .
The Leverett’s who have disbursed their time and energy very positively and very caringly have been blessed
with 3 lovely children and 5 grandchilren.
The Portland Observer salutes this wonderful couple as Seniors of the week.
GENERAL BAPTIST TO CONVENE IN PORTLAND
by Mattie Ann Callier-Spears
The General Baptist Convention
of the Northwest will hold its annual
convention fellowship on the 23rd of
July. The worship services and all of
the convention activities will be held
at the O.B. WILLIAMS CONVEN­
TION CENTER located at 220 NE
Beech Street.
On Sunday, the 23rd of July at
3:00 p.m., in the afternoon, there will
be a pre-convention service spon-
DR. MAE JEMISON: THE FIRST
BLACK WOMAN ASTRONAUT
Dr. Mae Jemison, as the nation’s first Black woman astronaut,endures
rigorous training as she prepares for her first space flight, reports the August
EBONY.
Based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston since 1987, Dr.
Jemison is one of only four black astronauts. A child of the ’60s, she credits
the support o f her parents for helping her reach the stars. “ My parents have
always been supportive of me,” she says. “ When I was a child, they put up
with all kinds of stuff, like science projects, dance classes and art lessons.
A former physician who has long been interested in science, Dr. Jemison
says her achievement is a natural progression, and anticipates becoming the
first Black woman in orbit by 1991.
25C
soredbythe Usher Departments. The
guest speaker will be the Rev. Robert
C. Jointer, pastor of the North pleas­
ant Hill Baptist Church in New
Hebron, Mississippi.
On Monday, July 24th, the Con­
vention Board will meet at 7:00 p.m..
Rev. A Bernard Devers will be the
featured speaker.
On Tuesday, July 25th, there will
be singing, clapping hands, patting
feet and joyous praise as songs are
presented at the pre-convention MU­
SICAL.
Featuring choirs from
throughout the Portland area.
Registration will begin at 10:00
a.m. on Wednesday, July 26th. The
Rev. E.V. Hill o f Mt. Zion Baptist
Missionary Baptist Church o f Los
Angeles, California is scheduled to
speak on Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m., each
night. In the event, if Rev. Hill is
unable to make one of the scheduled
nights, alternate speakers have also
been scheduled, as follows:
Wed.: Rev. L.C. Irving, Pasco,
Washington
Thurs.: Rev. T.L. Lewis, Port­
land, Oregon
Friday: Rev. J.A. Boles, Tacoma,
Washington
Preceding the sermon Wednes­
day through Friday, there will be a
Theme Presentation which will be
presented by the following minis­
ters:
Wed.: Rev. Robert Earl Houston,
Sr., Portland, Oregon
Thurs.: Rev. L.D. Williams,
Spokane, Washington
Friday: Rev. C.L. Buhl, Seattle,
Washington
On Saturday, July 29th, the State
Youth Musical will begin at 7:00
p.m., in the evening.
On Sunday, July 30th, Rev. O.B.
Williams will give the General Presi­
dent’s Message. This year will mark
the 37th year that Rev. O.B. Wil­
liams has delivered this message.
The program will begin at 3:00 p.m.
The public is cordially invited to
attend this festive, HALLELUJAH
and informative 1989 session.
MINORITY STU­
DENTS LEAD
NATIONWIDE
GROWTH IN
ENGINEERING
The nation’s engineering schools
experienced ihe first growth in fresh­
man engineering enrollments since
1982,thanks to an upsurge in the num­
ber of minority students entering fresh­
man engineering programs during the
1988-89 academic year. The an­
nouncement, made by George
Campbell Jr., president of the Na­
tional Action Council for Minorities
in Engineering (NACME), indicates
that African Americans, Hispanics
and American Indians accounted for
upwards of 55% of the national in­
crease in freshman engineering stu­
dents.
Dr. Campbell made his remarks at
a White House Briefing for Vice
President Dan Quayle held at FO­
RUM ’89, NACME’s ninth annual
conference. As chairman of the ad­
ministration’s councils on Space and
Competitiveness, the Vice President
told more than 450 Forum attendees
of his concerns for America’s techni­
cal work force. “ I can’t think of a
more compelling issue,” said Vice
President Quayle, “ as we look at
competitiveness and we look at space,
than looking at what NACME is all
about and trying to recruit minorities
into engineering and science and aero­
space engineering careers.”
The hew data, compiled for
NACME by the Engineering Man­
power Commission, shows that the
number of underrepresented minor­
ity students who began their engi­
neering educations this past fall rose
from 10,325 to 11,754, an increase
only 2.7%, form 94,814 a year ago to
97,379.
According to Dr. Campbell, the
statistics reflect America’s changing
demographics paired with a nation­
wide effort to increase minority par­
ticipation in technical fields. “ What
we’re seeing, “ said Dr. Campbell,
“ is an upswing in minority freshman
enrollment that comes on the heels of
greatly increased activity in precol­
lege programs all across the coun­
try.” Since 1985, NACME has pro­
vided seed or expansion funding for
more than twenty programs that in­
troduce minority students to careers
in engineering and help them de­
velop the academic skills to compete
in rigorous math and science-based
study.
The gains were distributed among
all underrepresented minority groups.
African American freshman enroll­
ments increased 15.1% over last year,
from 6,145 to 7,075, far surpassing
the previous year’s more modest gain
of 4.6%. While the gain was spread
across all schools, historically Afri­
can American colleges accounted for
a larger percentage of the increase
than they did in the past. Hispanic
enrollment increased 11%, from 3,826
to 4,246, echoing the previous year’s
solid gain of 13.9%. The most dra­
matic percentage gain was made by
American Indians with enrollments
increasing 22.3%, from 354 to 433.
Increases in minority students en­
tering the freshman class arc espe­
cially significant in the context of
total undergraduate engineering en­
rollment which declined from 352,848
to 342,280.
Thus, while total enrollment was
decreasing by 10,568, minority en­
rollment increased by 1,413.
The Engineering M anpower
Commission monitors minority par­
ticipation in engineering schools under
a grant from NACME. Best known
as the nation’s largest privately funded
source of scholarships for minority
engineering students, NACME also
conducts research, develops programs,
provides seed grants and technical
assistance, and operates an active
publications program.
DR. ADAIR RECEIVES KELLOGG
FELLOWSHIP
Harriet E Adair, principal at the Martin Luther King Jr. Early Childhood
Education Center, Portland, Oregon, is one of 465 Americans selected by
the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for Group X of its Kellogg National Fellow­
ship Program (KNFP)
The program began in 1980 to help the nation expand its pool of capable
leaders. It is structured to increase individuals’ skills and insights into areas
outside their chosen disciplines so they can deal more creatively and
effectively with society’s complex problems. Adair, 41, is a member of the
National Alliance of Black School Educators and is a board member of the
North /Northeast Housing board and the North/Northeast Mental Health
Center. She is a member of the National Education Association and is on the
Board of Directors for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Com­
mittee.
Before holding her present position, Adair was a curriculum and commu­
nity relations administrator and adjunct instructor at Portland State Univer­
sity, Oregon. She has seven years of middle school and elementary teaching
experience, and has coauthored federal reports on multicultural staff and
curriculum development
As a volunteer, Adair works with local organizations to direct and
motivate disadvantaged students. She is also active with local gang preven­
tion and neighborhood revitalization task forces.
She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and master’s
degree in education at Portland State University, Oregon, and her master’s
degree in behavior and learning disabilities instruction at University of
Oregon, Eugene. Adair earned her doctorate at Brigham Young
University .Provo, Utah. She is a native of San Antonio, Texas.
Each Kellogg National Fellow receives a three-year grant of $35,000 to
fund his or her self-designed plan of study. In addition, for Fellows
employed by non-profit institutions, the Foundation supports 12-1/2 percent
of their salary up to $26,000. This enables the employing institution or
agency to give the Fellow 25 percent release time to take part in program
activities.
The Fellows represent various walks of life and several racial and ethnic
backgrounds. During the next three years, they will participate in educa­
tional seminars structured to strengthen their leadership skills. The seminars
are hosted by the Foundation at several sites across the United States and in
Latin America.
In addition, Fellows will carry out personal learning plans outside their
areas of expertise - examining political, social, and economic problems
from a multi-faceted perspective.
“ The problems facing our world today require complex decision­
making skills; in these situations, expertise in a single area is not enough,”
said Dr. Russell G. Mawby, the Foundation’s chairman and chief executive
officer. “ We need broad-based leaders who can work across different
disciplines, professions, and fields of interest.
“ Through its programming, the Foundation continues to develop the
broad leadership skills and abilities of individuals. The tenth annual
National Fellowship Program is representative of our commitment to
leadership development. Since its inception, the KNFP’s 433 participants
have consistently benefited, both personally and professionally, from this
exciting program.”
The 1989 KNFP members were chosen from a field of 783 people who
submitted comprehensive applications in which they detailed past profes­
sional and personal accomplishments and stated future goals - including
their self-designed plans to expand their knowledge. Applications came
from faculty and administrators at colleges, universities, academic health
centers and other educational institutions, as well as from government,
business, industry , and the human services sector.
Initial screening of the applications by a review team o f 14 outstanding
educational, civic, and business leaders and 2 members of the Foundation’s
professional staff narrowed the applicant pool to 129 for personal inter­
views. From that group, 46 individuals -- 23 females, 23 males, -- were
selected for the program. Sixteen of those are minorities.
Group X activities will center around the theme “ Intercultural Leader­
ship for a Diverse W orld,” according to Dr. Larraine R. Matusak, KNFP
director.
The Fellows, whose average age is 37, met for the first time as a group
during late June in an orientation/leadership seminar at the Conference
Center at Dodgcrtown, Vero Beach, Florida.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, established in 1930 to “ help people help
themselves,” has distributed more than $1 billion in support of programs in
agriculture, education, and health. Areas of emphasis within those broad
fields include adult continuing education;community-bascd, problem-fo­
cused health services; a wholesome food supply; and broadening leadership
capacity of individuals.Projects in opportunities for youth are concentrate
mainly in Michigan; support for economic development projects is provided
only in Michigan. The Foundation is today among the largest private
philanthropic organizations in the world. It supports programs in the United
States, Latin America, the Caribbean, and southern African countries.
Limited worldwide involvement is achieved through international networks
of activities related to the Foundation’s programming interests.