TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
entered the Chapter Invisible on No- vember 29, 1999, at the age of 75. Born in St. Louis, MO in 1944, Buford’s father, James, was one of the city’s first African-American police officers, and his mother, Myrtle (née Brown) Buford was a homemaker. He graduated from a private high school, which would be- come Cardinal Ritter High School. He earned a B.A.degree in human services administration from Elizabethtown (PA) College. After graduating from college, Burford started his professional career in sales but made a career change. But his early professional life, just after graduating from Elizabeth College in Elizabethtown, Pa., started in sales. In 1976, he worked for a Wilmington, DE based high school dropout program, which led Buford to meet then Delaware Governor Pete-DuPont (R). His relationship with DuPont led to working with other Republican Party leader. In 1981, Gov. Christopher Bond (R-MO) wanted to start a job program similar to Delaware’s programs, and DuPont recommended Buford to head the Missouri program. Gov. Bond appointed Buford state director of Jobs for Missouri Graduates. In 1985, Buford became the sixth president of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. Under his stewardship, the Urban League established the Urban League Guild. In the late 1990s, Buford spearheaded the Urban League’s reorganization of its geographic region to incorporate the city of St. Louis, St. Louis, and St. Clair counties. Buford also piloted a partnership between the Urban League and the YWCA to run the national Head Start program in St. Louis City. During his tenure, Buford grew the Urban League budget from $2 million to $25 million to support the underserved, economically depressed areas of St. Louis and surrounding metropolitan areas, including improving housing, education, and job opportunities.
States Army during the Vietnam War [1966-1969], earning a Bronze Star Medal. He completed post-graduate studies at the American University Graduate School of Justice and Howard University Divinity School, both in Washington, D.C. He received his M.A. in Biblical Studies and an M.Div degree from the Maple Springs Bible College and Seminary in Capitol Heights, MD, in 1994. Bowser became a member of Antioch Baptist Church in 1989 and accepted the call to the gospel ministry in February 1991. Licensed by Pastor William Thomas, Jr., he served as Minister of Visitation. He was ordained as a deacon under the pastorate of the late Rev. Robert Gilmore Williams and received his Doctorate in Divinity in 2000. Early in his career, he was employed as a Washington, D.C. police officer. He spent five years as a Recruit/ Inservice Training Instructor at D.C.’s Metropolitan Training Academy. He later became a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation until his retirement in 1999. On August 24, 1984, Bowser, with 22 other members, chartered the Upper Marlboro/ Waldorf (MD) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, where he served as a board of directors. Brother Lloyd A. Bowser was the eldest of six siblings, enjoying fishing, horticulture, and cooking. He is preceded in death by his father, William McKinley Bowser, and his brother Samuel Thomas Bowser. Submitted by Marcus V. Smith James H. Burford, Sr. 1944-2019 St. Louis Community Leader, Civil Rights Advocate Native St. Lou- isan and longtime
In 1995, he coordinated and organized three busloads of St. Louis citizens to attend the historic Million Man March in Washington, D.C. In 1999, the St. Louis Police arrested Buford and the Rev. Al Sharpton for blocking a major highway in the city, protesting the lack of hiring of minorities by St. Louis construction companies. In 1993, then Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan (D) appointed Buford as Secretary of the St. Louis County Board of Elections. In 2005, Mayor Francis Slay (D) appointed him to the St. Louis Public School Board. Buford held many other civic positions. For his years of steadfast civic leadership and civil rights advocacy, the city of St. Louis named Buford Citizen of the Year in 2012. In 2017, he received Jobs for America Graduate (JAG)’s first- ever Legacy Award at the annual JAG National Student Leadership Academy in Washington, D.C. He also held honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degrees from Harris Stowe State College in 1993; University of Missouri of St. Louis in 1995; Webster University in 2000; Eden Theological Seminary in 2006; and Fontbonne University in 2010. Brother James H. Buford, Sr. is preceded in death by his parents and his first wife, Helen. He is survived by wife, Susan, and two adult sons, James Buford Jr. (St. Louis (MO) Alumni 1999) and Jason Buford. Don B. Dillon, Sr. 1932–2019 College Band Director, U.S. Army
Don B. “DB” Dillon, Sr. (Alpha Sigma 1951) entered the Chapter Invisible on September 10, 2019 at the age of
president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, James H. Buford, Sr. (St. Louis (MO) Alumni 1983)
86. Don Bolden Dillon was born December 19, 1932 in Oakdale, LA to
THE JOURNAL ♦ FALL-WINTER 2020 | 95
Publishing achievement for more than 105 years
Made with FlippingBook Publishing Software