TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
He was a member of the National Dun- bar Alumni Association and a lifetime member of the NAACP in which he held numerous positions at the state and local levels. He was preceded in death by his par- ents, his brother Joe Lee Bankhead; his sister, Annie B. Gideon; and his son, Shawn Allen Bankhead. He leaves to cherish his memory his wife of 57 years Barbara Bankhead; his son Bryan Bankhead; his daughter Sharon Bradford Bankhead; his brother Dr. Augustus Bankhead of Nashville, TN; eight grandchildren; three great- grandchildren; and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.
After graduating from college, Batey began his career as a DPS educator. He taught at Stedman Elementary School and East High School. He later became Assistant Principal at Thomas Jefferson High School and finished his career at DPS as a beloved Principal at Montbello High School. His advice to all of his students was to “study hard and play smart.” He later worked for the Colorado Department of Education before retiring in 2000. A Life Member of the Fraternity, Batey was a member of the and served the Denver (CO) Alumni Chapter as vice polemarch in 1991-1992. He was a life member of the Esquire Club. He was also a member of the Denver Urban League Guild. He served as a board member for Black American West Museum, Colorado Academy, and many other boards and committees throughout Denver and the State of Colorado. He was inducted into the CSU-Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. He was inducted into the East High School Ath- letics Hall of Fame, the DPS All-Century Basketball team. Batey enjoyed chasing jazz festivals across the world, playing golf, coaching his grandchildren from the stands, and most of all, family time. Friends and family alike will remember his strong faith, his calm yet assertive demeanor, compassion, and for simply being a good man. He will be missed by all that knew and loved him. As Sam always said, towards the end of his time, life is “amazing.” Brother Samuel R. Batey, Sr. is survived by his wife Barbara (née Jackson) Batey, son Samuel Jr. (Cherie) and daughter Dana L. (Jeff) Batey-Hurd, and brother, Charles (Jeanne) Batey, Jr. (Beta Theta 1962). Brother Batey also leaves behind four grandchildren, Jordan N. Batey, Brooklyn J. Batey, Morgan L. Batey, Pryce S. Batey, and a host of many other fam- ily, dear friends, colleagues, and former students. DPS expressed its condolences on the passing of Dr. Batey on its website. Longtime DPS educator Ms. Debbie Blair-Minter on Dr. Batey. “Sam was my
James A. Bankhead 1937-2022 U.S. Army
James A. Bankhead (Gamma Sigma 1959) entered the Chapter Invisible on January 3, 2022. James Allen Bank- head was born June 27, 1937, in Little Rock, AR to R.B.
and Annie Mae Bankhead. In 1955, he graduated from Dunbar High School in Little Rock and later attended Philander Smith College and graduated from A. M. & N College (now known as The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) with a B.A. degree in industrial educa- tion. He was an honor student and one of the honor students chosen to escort Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during his visit to A. M. & N. College in 1958. Immediately after graduation, he was drafted into the United States Army and introduced to the military world of Quartermaster, Supply, and Accounting. Surprisingly, he discovered that he liked this area better than Industrial Educa- tion. In 1971 he enlisted in the Arkansas National Guard. He was assigned to the 212 Signal Battalion. He held many positions while enlisted and was especially proud of his work with Officer and NCO Academics, teaching race relations. Finally, his education courses were put to great use. His skills were a part of why James Bankhead holds the distinction of being the Arkansas National Guard's first African American Command Sergeant Major (E-9) with the 39th Infantry Battalion. He also enjoyed his career as a state employee. He was Agency Financial Manager for the Arkansas Department of Youth Services (1978-1981); Deputy Commissioner for Youth Services (1981- 1986); DHS Accounts Payable Manager (1986-1989); and Manager of DHS Payroll (1995-Retirement).
Samuel R. Batey 1942-2021 Denver, CO Educator
Longtime princi- pal in the Denver (CO) Public School system (DPS), Samuel R. Batey, Dr. (Den- ver (CO) Alumni 1984) entered the Chapter Invisible on July 19, 2021,
at age 79. Samuel Richard Batey was born in Nashville, TN to Charles Frank Batey Sr. and Thelma Batey. The Batey family moved to Denver, CO, in 1946, where Batey attended East High School, where he earned multiple All-City and All-State basketball honors. After graduating from high school in 1960, Batey earned a full athletic scholar- ship to play basketball at the Southern Colorado State College (now Colorado State University-Pueblo). Known as the “Chairman of the Boards,” Batey scored nearly 2,000 career points while playing for CSU-Pueblo basketball. He later earned an M.A. from the University of Northern Colorado. In 1999, Sam and his wife Barbara earned Ph.D. degrees in education from the University of Colo- rado at Denver.
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