His memories of his education are also spot-on. “I started kindergarten at Morgan Elementary School in September 1946, after which I attended Banneker Junior High School, and then Armstrong Technical High School. On my last day of high school, a life-changing intervention frommy English Teacher, Mrs. Jewel, saw me apply for admission to Ohio State University, which I got. Even better, I won a Willard Association Scholarship! These were some of the momentous periods in my life. Ohio State University was a big thing for me. There weren’t many blacks in engineering, but most of the students were very friendly, and the teachers treated me the same as any other student. I did eventually graduate with a degree in Welding Engineering.” One day, feeling bored at my summer job at the Oldsmobile Parts Casting Factory in Defiance, Ohio, I pondered about all the girls I knew at one time or another. When I got to the name ‘Barbara Jean Jackson,’ I stopped, nodded, and whispered to myself, “She is it.” Something felt right within me. After a long period of dating, Warren went on to marry Barbara. Then is his vivid recollection of the birth of his sons Renard and Duane. “In October 1962, our oldest child, Renard was born. It was a moment of anguish because my wife developed preeclampsia, and our son could not breathe. He was hospitalized for several months due to complications at birth. Duane was born in March 1964, but his birth was easier, and we had benefited from the experience of our first child.” Finally, his recollection of his career journey. “When I finished University, I worked at North American Aviation from June 1956 to October 1956. In September 1959, I got a more permanent position in Cincinnati, Ohio, working for General Electric, after which a very good vacancy opened up in General Electrics, Schenectady, New York, in 1975, and I was transferred there. Finally, in 1981, Martin Marietta Aerospace Group offered me an executive position in Orlando Florida. It was after this that I retired.” Another thing I took note of during the interview was that, for Warren, Family is everything. Right from the beginning, his idea was to protect his young family. “The first thing I did when I got married was to take Barbara away from the Washington culture. I did not want interference in our new marriage. I believe this kept us together. We have been married for 64 years this year. Upon marrying her, I gave her two options; it was either she was going to work or she would go to college. She chose the education path, and now has a doctorate. Education was a big thing in our family; we built a library for our children and encouraged them to read. We also spent on their learning and development, spending money on martial arts, swimming, piano, foreign languages, acting, and putting them in the best schools possible. Renard needed special care, and we committed to giving him a good quality of life.” Importantly, Warren’s love for self-improvement is something he has passed on to his children and grandchildren. 22 The Birthday Journal
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