Erie County African American Soldiers in the First World War

 The book Honor Roll of Ohio: Erie County Edition is a compilation of Erie County residents who served in military or civilian activity during World War I. Soldiers and sailors who served during the war are listed in the book, with photographs, brief personal information, and service summaries included for each man. 

As in the service itself, the African American servicemen were segregated from the rest of the men into two pages of the book. Those pages are shown here.

 Although we do not have additional information for all of the soldiers depicted here, we are able to gather brief biographical data on some of these men. 

Reading the descriptions, you will notice that two of these men died in overseas service. Corporal Clarence Howard was featured in a previous blog post. He was noted as a star pitcher for the Sandusky Crescents baseball team before the war. He was killed by an accidental weapon discharge on October 12, 1918.

Private Robert Adkerson died in service in France on October 22, 1918, at age 25. He was initially buried in France, but in 1921 his remains were returned to his native Tennessee for reburial.

Three sons of William and Mary Alexander performed military service during the war. Sergeant Robert Alexander served overseas with Co. H of the 802nd Pioneer Infantry. Private Charles Alexander was in France with Co. L of the 365th Infantry, 92nd Division. The youngest brother, Private Earl Alexander, served in the Student Army Training Corps at the Ohio State University, beginning September 1918.

The Honor Roll of Ohio is available in the Genealogy book collection at the Sandusky Library.

Earl Dean Alexander, Lawyer and Educator

Earl Dean Alexander (spelled Earle in the 1916 Fram) was born in Sandusky, Ohio in 1898 to Mr. and Mrs. William Alexander. Earl graduated from Sandusky High School in 1916. While in high school, Earl was a member of the debate team. He attended college at Ohio State University, where he was a member of the OSU debating team.

In 1918, he served in the Students Army Training Corps, a program similar to ROTC. He received an honorable discharge after only a few months service. He earned his law degree from the Western Reserve University Law School. In 1922, he married Catherine Thompson. Mr. Alexander worked as a lawyer in Cleveland, Ohio for two years, then he and his wife moved to New York City. 

An article which appeared in the  Sandusky Star Journal of January 26, 1924,  discussed three young African American men from Sandusky who were on their way to becoming a lawyer, a doctor, and a dentist. Earl Alexander was the Sandusky High School graduate who was determined to become a lawyer.

In 1938, Earl Dean Alexander earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the College of the City of New York. He taught at Seward Park High School, the alma mater of several celebrities, including Tony Curtis, Walter Matthau, and Estelle Getty. 

On April 15, 1983, Earl Dean Alexander, Sr. passed away in the state of New York.  He was buried at the Long Island National Cemetery. An obituary for Mr. Alexander was carried in the April 27, 1983 issue of the Sandusky Register.

Charles L. Alexander, World War I Veteran

Charles Lester Alexander was born in Sandusky, Ohio on April 20, 1894 to Mr. and Mrs. William H. Alexander. On October 29, 1917, Mr. Alexander enlisted in the United States Army. During World War One, Charles L. Alexander served with the American Expeditionary Forces in the Meuse-Argonne, a major operation of the U.S. Army during the Great War. He was honorably discharged on March 17, 1919. After his military service, Mr. Alexander worked for the United States Post Office in Sandusky, Ohio for forty years, retiring in 1959. Charles L. Alexander passed away at the Hill Haven Convalescent home in Columbus, Ohio on February 16, 1975. He had been an active member of the Progress Lodge 85 and Second Baptist Church. Funeral services for Charles L. Alexander were held at both the Charles J. Andres Sons Funeral Home and at Second Baptist Church. Burial was at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

Dedication of the Progressive Masonic Temple

On July 15, 1945 the Progressive Masonic Temple, home of Progress Lodge No. 85 F. and A.M., was dedicated. The building, located at 2012 Columbus Avenue, was purchased on May 29, 1944, and was remodeled and redecorated for lodge purposes.

The Progress Lodge No. 85 F. and A.M. began in the 1920s in Sandusky, and was said to be Sandusky’s oldest African American fraternal organization at the time of the dedication of the lodge building. The group met in 1945 on the first and third Monday of the month. In April of 1969, Charles Alexander and Clarence A. Carman were honored with a testimonial banquet; they were the only living charter members of the Progress Lodge 85 F. and A.M. in the spring of 1969. The building located at 2012 Columbus Avenue is now home to the New St. John Masonic Lodge, No. 192.

Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to read about the formation of the first African American Lodge in Sandusky in the November 20, 1921 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal, available on microfilm.