Earl Matthew Middleton (February 18, 1919 – November 2007)[1] was a businessman who served as a state legislator in South Carolina. An African American, he served in the military during World War II.[2] He represented Orangeburg County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1974 to 1984.[3]
Early life and education
editMiddleton was born February 18, 1919, in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the youngest of six children. His great-great-grandfather was an enslaved. His father was a carpenter and his mother was in the first graduating class of the University of South Carolina.[4]
In 1942, Middleton graduated from Claflin University.[4] Later that year he joined the military first training as a pilot in Tuskegee, Alabama, then joining the Army in a segregated unit, serving as barber for black servicemen.[5]
Career
editAfter returning from the Army in 1946, he opened a barber shop while selling insurance and homes on the side.[5] In the 1950s, he started his own insurance and real-estate business.[6][4]
He was active in the NAACP.[5]
He wrote an autobiography.[7][2]
In 2007, Middletom was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, presented to him by President George W. Bush.[8]
Personal life
editMiddleton married Bernice Bryant in 1947 and had two daughters and one son.[5]
References
edit- ^ Doyle, Barbara; Sullivan, Mary Edna; Todd, Tracey (February 10, 2008). Beyond the Fields: Slavery at Middleton Place. Univ of South Carolina Press. ISBN 9780615207230 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Knowing Who I Am ~ Earl M. Middleton". The Village Museum at McClellanville, South Carolina.
- ^ "Earl Middleton Obituary (2007) - Charleston, SC - Charleston Post & Courier". Legacy.com.
- ^ a b c Gleaton, Sonja (August 3, 2003). "Middleton says roots of success date back to great-great grandfather". The Times and Democrat. pp. 9B – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d Gaiter, Dorothy (April 29, 1992). "Fair Trade: A Black Entrepreneur Vaults Racial Barriers In a Southern Town --- Earl Middleton, Descendant Of Slaves, Sells Houses To White and Black Alike --- The Difficult Early Years". The Wall Street Journal. pp. A1. ISSN 0099-9660. ProQuest 398250185.
- ^ "Earl Matthew Middleton".
- ^ "Steele on Middleton and Barnes, 'Knowing Who I Am: A Black Entrepreneur's Struggle and Success in the American South' | H-SC | H-Net". networks.h-net.org.
- ^ Parks, Nadine (November 22, 2007). "Former legislator dies at 88;Middleton had roots in Charleston, trained with famous airmen". The Post and Courier. pp. B1. ISSN 1061-5105. ProQuest 374149182.