BOOKS AND SUCH
David R. Montague, Ph.D., Publishes Book on Hidden Figure of the U.S. Navy
By Nicholas Cole T here’s an old adage that says what’s done in the dark will come to light. By co-authoring and publishing a new, break- through book, Brother David R. Mon- tague, Ph.D., brought to light a hidden figure of the U.S. Navy. That hidden figure just so happens to be his mother. “She was an achiever, I became an achiever, and she taught me that whatever goals I have for myself, I must be willing to put in the work to achieve those goals,” Montague said. Montague (Hyattsville/Landover (MD) Alumni 1990), Executive Director of Online Learning and Faculty Mentor- ing at the University of Arkansas at Lit- tle Rock, on January 12, 2021, released his book entitled: Overnight Code: The Life of Raye Montague, the Woman Who Revolutionized Naval Engineering . Montague’s book, which is available on Amazon, tells the story of his mother, Raye Montague, an ambitious little girl from segregated Little Rock, Arkansas, who spent a lifetime educating herself, both inside and outside of the classroom so that she could become the person and professional she aspired to be. “This book is a project that my mother began,” Montague revealed, before adding, “I promised her when she was in hospice that I would finish this book for her. This book was originally a memoir, but it turned into a biography. My co-author, Paige Bowers, has just been an amazing partner in this pro- cess. It feels great to actually keep that promise to her because she wanted this book to actually represent a continuation of what she was doing when she was alive. I know that she is looking down smiling.” Montague, an alumnus of More- house, Howard, and George Washington University, went on to stress that where some people saw roadblocks, his mother (Raye) only saw hurdles that needed to
“What I mean is that it doesn’t matter what gender you are, where you come from, what access to education and technology you have, you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. My mother’s story coming from a black girl in the south, becoming a woman, and in joining the male-dominated field of engineering, she was able to thrive and become successful.” Montague went on to note that his mother used her opportunity to open doors for other people. “That’s a real testament of how great the power of service and commitment to others is,” Montague said. “Just as it is with Kappa Alpha Psi, we support achievement in every field. She was the same way. And she didn’t feel like you can only be successful if you went to do engineering. She felt that if you have the acumen to do a good job, and that you’re willing to work hard, and you’re willing to actually get the educational training necessary for that career, you could achieve the goal you want. She definitely promoted achievement in every area. And so she not only did that for herself, in her own career, overcom- ing just unbelievable obstacles, revolu- tionizing ship design for the entire navy and turning a two-year draft process for designing a naval ship into an 18 hour and 26-minute process, to opening doors for other people in becoming a first in so many ways. Then she reached back and opened doors for others.” As to the message that readers will gain from reading his newly published book, Montague, said, “The message will inspire people to find a way to achieve in-spite of what obstacles other people put in their way. Even more important than finding a way to get around those obstacles is having enough faith in yourself to know that you’re entitled to dream and pursue those dreams.”
be overcome. Her mindset helped her become the first person to draft a naval ship design by computer, using a pro- gram she worked late nights to debug. She did this as a single mother during the height of the Cold War, all the while imbuing her son with the hard-won wis- dom she had accumulated throughout the years. Overnight Code , Montague de- scribed, is a tale about the persistence and perseverance required to forge the life of your dreams when the odds against you seem insurmountable, and shows how one woman refused to let other people’s prejudices stand in the way of her success. Although the Overnight Code is a sto- ry about Montague’s formidable mother’s life, it’s also a testament to the power of a mother’s love to shape her children’s future. “The significance of this book is that, given the complexity of societal issues that we’re all dealing with, even during the pandemic, but before then - this book really is like a survival guide for people just to understand how to think about their path in life,” Montague said. David R. Montague, Ph.D. (Hyattsville-Landover (MD) AL 1990)
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