1918 – 2002
Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley was the first black officer in the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), the only organization of black women to serve overseas during World War II. Her book, “One Woman’s Army: a Black Officer Remembers the WAC,” recounts her experiences as a pioneer coping with the difficulties of being an Black woman in the army while carrying out the enormous assignment of ensuring that the U.S. mail was delivered to every American sitting in the European theater throughout the war. Earley served her community after the war, as well as serving on numerous boards including Sinclair Community College, DP & L, Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority, and the American Red Cross. She was one of the founding members of Leadership Dayton and
Parity 2000.