TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Director of the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program, Director of the Center of Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, and Vice President for Research. Townsel spent 20 years each summer running an MBL program entitled Sum- mer Program in Neuroscience, Ethics, and Survival (SPINES), which focused on aiding minority students to achieve successful careers. In 2007, MBL established an endowed lecture named after Townsel and another program course director, Joe Martinez, Jr. Townsel's distinguished performance in the field yielded many awards and achievements, including the induction as a fellow into the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and receiving a Distinguished Alumni Award in Biology in 1999 from the School of Science from Purdue University. He contributed to over 90 publications, and directly trained and nurtured 15 postdoctoral associates. Upon retirement, he earned the distin- guished title of Professor Emeritus at the Department of Biomedical Science at MMC. He is survived by his wife, Mary of 35 years; children: Cheryl Townsel, Kevin (Dorothy) Townsel, Cami Townsel, Greg (Trina) Brown, Karen Crawley, and Tanya Brown; grandchildren: James Ade, Kevin Jr., Kennedy, Clark, Isaiah, Aaron, Gregory, Gabriel, Gavin, Koran, Kameron, Katara, and Kamari; siblings: Edith Green, Erma (Louis) Sims, and a brother, Douglas (Valerie) Shadd.
May 21, 2020, at the age of 94. He was born on October 18, 1925, in Baltimore, MD and was the third of five sons born to John Quincy Ward and Lucy (Little) Ward. He grew up on Mount Street in West Baltimore. Ward attended local public schools and graduated from Fred- erick Douglass High School in 1944. Ward served in World War II as a Staff Sergeant in the Army Air Force, 810 th Engineering Aviation Battalion, where he served in Guam, Marshall Islands, Saipan, Philippines, and Okinawa in the Pacific Theatre. After his discharge, the United States Post Office employed him as a clerk. It was here that he met a temporary worker, Francis (Freddie) Crisp, who encouraged him to enroll at Morgan State College (now University). He completed his studies at Morgan State University, majoring in History and Geography. After completing his undergraduate degree, he taught History at Baltimore City Senior and Junior High Schools. Ward would earn a Master's Degree in educational administration from the University of Maryland at College Park. He also pursued at Johns Hopkins Uni- versity, New York University, University of Baltimore and the IBM Executive Training Program. Before his appointment to Director of Secondary Schools, John served in ad- ministrative positions at Lombard Junior High, Edmondson Senior High, Poly- technic Institute, Garrison Junior High, and Lake Clifton Senior High School. Ward was considered a trailblazing educational leader. He was loved and greatly respected by faculty, staff, and especially the students. While on leave from Baltimore City Public Schools, he served as an Educational Researcher at the Johns Hopkins University Center for the Social Organization of Schools. In 1977, Ward joined the Superinten- dent's staff of Baltimore County Public Schools, thus becoming the first African- American Assistant Superintendent of Schools in one of the counties in the Maryland State school system. Later, the school system promoted Ward to the
position of Associate Superintendent, Division of Physical Facilities where he served as principal adviser to the Board of Education in all matters related to facilities including Capital Planning, ar- chitectural planning, building construc- tion, plant operations and maintenance, site acquisition, and property records. Serving as Associate Superintendent was a mix of emotions, devotion, and at times, difficult decisions and outcomes. Upon retirement from the Baltimore County Public Schools in 1985, the Maryland governor Harry Hughes ap- pointed Ward Commissioner at the Department of Public Safety and Cor- rectional Services. Reappointed by Gov- ernor William D. Schaefer, he served for years before establishing a consulting firm, specializing in Educational Facility Planning, Evaluation, and Management.
Franklin D. Wesley, Jr. 1943–2020 Educator
Franklin D. Wes- ley, Jr (Port Arthur (TX) Alumni 1971) entered the Chapter Invisible on June 26, 2020. Franklin Dunbar Wesley, Jr. was born on February
8, 1943, in San Antonio, TX the only child to Bennie Jean (née Cook) Wesley and Franklyn D. Wesley, Sr. He spent his early childhood roaming the vast campus of Prairie View A&M Univer- sity (PVAM) in Prairie View, TX where his father was a Professor of Radio and Technology. Even in his early childhood, he did things his way, walking over the campus meeting people, investigating the Agricultural Department- watching the livestock. Wesley graduated from Houston’s Jack Yates High School and attended Prairie View A&M University. He graduated with a B.A. degree in industrial education. Upon graduation, he began his profes- sional career as an educator in Beau- mont Independent School District, where he held various positions as a
John S. Ward 1925–2019 Educator, U.S. Army Air Force
Life Member and longtime
Baltimore (MD) Alumni member John S. Ward (Alpha Iota 1948) entered the Chap- ter Invisible on
122 | SUMMER-FALL 2020 ♦ THE JOURNAL
Publishing achievement for more than 105 years
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