Jan. 12, 1929 – Sept. 24, 2014
He built a legacy, one changed life at a time
J.D. Washington was the first African- American principal in Springfield Public Schools. He was the first African-American recruiter for the U.S. Peace Corps. He was a 33 rd degree Mason and an educator for more than 40 years. Most importantly, however, he was a man of integrity and determination.
Johnnie David Washington was born on Jan. 12, 1929, in Little Rock, Arkansas. His father, David, a bricklayer, and his mother, Hazel, a hospital worker, raised him during the Jim Crow era of racist laws. That repressive environment only spurred J.D. to work harder for success, says Roger Washington, one of J.D.’s sons. As a result, Roger says his father was a “no-nonsense” man who expected excellence from himself and those around him.
J.D. valued faith and responsibility, which he passed on to Roger and his two brothers, along with J.D.’s countless students over decades as a teacher and mentor. Roger says he and his brothers all earned degrees in higher education and led successful careers because of his influence. One of Roger’s favorite memories is the day he was ordained a minister, fulfilling one of his father’s dreams.
“One of the things that he taught us growing up was to be true to ourselves and to be sure that the things we strived for had God in mind,” Roger said. “Without God, there is nothing, and he taught us that without love, there are no good works.”
Roger says his father mentored students not only during their academic years, but well into their adulthood. He recalls J.D.’s past students visiting the family’s house often, and some of his students from the 1960s even attended his funeral.
J.D. placed great importance on the value of education, especially as a tool for empowering people of color, Roger says.
“Education was paramount to him,” Roger said. “When the civil rights movement was going on, he saw his responsibility as raising up children who become people of worth, who understand that they had a responsibility to pass that on to others. He wanted to make sure his sons had a firm foundation.”
Although he certainly had influence as a leader in Springfield’s educational system and other venues, J.D. preferred to influence people one-on-one.
“Those he mentored received some rich lessons in life,” Roger said. “That was his hallmark: he wanted to impart to other young men the life lessons he’d learned.”
Roger recalls his father once stopping to pick up a stranded family during a road trip, which taught him to be gracious toward others.
“He told me to always be careful how you treat people,” Roger said, “because you could be entertaining angels.”
–Patrick Yeagle
