Samuel Edward Barnes (1915 - 1997)

Born 25 Jan 1915 in Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Died 21 Jan 1997 at age 81 in Washington D.C., United States

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Biography

Samuel Barnes is Notable.

Lieutenant Samuel Barnes served in the United States Navy in World War II
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Unit(s):
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Samuel Barnes was one of the Golden Thirteen - the thirteen African American enlisted men who became the first African American commissioned and warrant officers in the United States Navy.^[1]

Samuel Edward Barnes was born on January 25th, 1915 in Oberlin, Ohio. He was the son of James Barnes and Margaret Sallee.^[2]

He was the twin brother of Rebecca Frances Barnes. He grew up in Oberlin^[3][4] and was an excellent athlete at both Oberlin High School and Oberlin College in both track and football. He is a member of the Oberlin College Athletics Hall of Fame. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1936, then later earned a Master's Degree in physical education from Oberlin College in 1949 and a PhD in physical education from Ohio State University in 1957.^[5][6] Early in his career, Samuel taught at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina.^[6][7]

Samuel married Olga Josephine Lash on 19 Dec 1943 in Rowan County, North Carolina.^[8] They had at least three children.^[6]

Samuel enlisted in the Navy during World War II. He was one of the "Golden Thirteen", the members of the first officer training course for African Americans in the U.S. Navy. He left active duty as lieutenant (junior grade) in 1946 and was honorably discharged in 1954. ^[9] In the 1950's, the State Department sent him to the Middle East as a sports ambassador. After leaving the military, most of his career was spent at Howard University where he taught physical education and was a coach. Towards the end of his career, he taught at D.C. Teachers College and its successor the University of the District of Columbia, retiring in 1981. He also was the secretary-treasurer for the National Collegiate Athletic Association and was on the board of directors of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Committee.^[6][10]

Samuel was a member of the Omega Psi Phi social fraternity, the Pigskinners Club, and Mount Olivet Lutheran Church.^[6]

Samuel died in the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C. on 21 Jan 1997.^[2][6] He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.^[11]

Sources

US Naval Institute Sub menu service history

The link below gives info that he commanded a black stevadore unit in Okinawa

[1]

(the link above has a bio of Samuel and a great picture) You can order an oral history as well.

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Golden Thirteen
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007," database, Ancestry, Ancestry Record 60901 #36168264 (accessed 9 December 2022), Samuel Edward Barnes, 25 Jan 1915-21 Jan 1997.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", ED 59, Oberlin, Lorain County, Ohio, USA; sheet 3A, family 80, lines 34-40, Samuel Barnes in James D Barnes household; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MD5T-17L
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," ED 64, Oberlin, Lorain County, Ohio, USA; sheet 2A, family 42, lines 26-31, Samuel E Barnes in James D Barnes household; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X44W-XG5
5. ↑ "Hall of Fame," Oberlin College Athletics, Samuel E Barnes, https://goyeo.com/honors/hall-of-fame/samuel-e-barnes/6 : accessed 9 Dec 2022.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} "Prof Samuel Barnes Dies," The Washington Post, 24 Jan 1997, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1997/01/24/prof-samuel-barnes-dies/15ce1757-8dda-4803-abb6-bdacd3114ed2/ : accessed 9 Dec 2022
7. ↑ United States, World War II Draft Registration, Samuel Edward Barnes, born 25 Jan 1915 in Oberlin, Ohio, registered with Local Board 4 in Oberlin, Lorain County, Ohio; "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947," database with images, Ancestry, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2238 #200933085 (accessed 9 December 2022).
8. ↑ "North Carolina, U.S., Marriage Records, 1741-2011," database with images, North Carolina County Registers of Deeds. Microfilm. Record Group 048. North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, NC; image copy, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 60548 #3580286 (accessed 9 December 2022); Samuel Edward Barnes and Olga Josephine Lash, 19 Dec 1943, Rowan County, North Carolina.
9. ↑ "The Golden Thirteen," Naval History and Heritage Command, https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/browse-by-topic/diversity/african-americans/golden-thirteen.html#1 : accessed 9 Dec 2022.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1950," ED 1-1106, Washington, D.C.; sheet 14, dwelling 100, lines 8-11, Samuel E Barnes household; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6F73-XRCQ
11. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49119913/samuel-edward-barnes: accessed 9 December 2022), memorial page for Samuel Edward Barnes (25 Jan 1915–21 Jan 1997), Find A Grave: Memorial #49119913, citing Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by John C. Anderson (contributor 47208015).

See also:

• Dan Goldberg, "The Forgotten Story of How 13 Black Men Broke the Navy’s Toughest Color Barrier," Politico, 25 May 2020,
• The Golden Thirteen: Recollections of the First Black Naval Officers by Paul Stillwell. Naval Institute Press, 2003.
• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/05/25/thirteen-black-men-navy-color-barrier-271084 : accessed 9 Dec 2022.