b'BLACK HISTORYA Tribute toDonald Lee Tucker, Sr.D onaldSr.Lee Tucker,was bornDecember 26,1952,inNew Madrid,Missouri,to the late Rose Hester Gray and Johnny Lee Tucker.Heattended O\'Bannon,asegre-gatedschool,and graduated from inte-gratedNewMadrid HighSchool.DonaldDonald Lee Tucker , Dec. 1952Jan 2021continuedhiseduca-tion at Rust College in Holly Springs,and one-half years.MS, where he served as the President ofUpongraduatingfromcollege, the Student Government Association.Donald was commissioned as a second Donaldgraduatedin1977withalieutenant in the U.S. Army. He was an Bachelor of Science degree in politicalamateur boxer representing the Army. science. He also served as a research develop-Donaldwasthebeneficiaryofthement officer and company commander. lawsuitfiledonOctober11,1972,DonaldretiredasaMajorafter20 by Leroy Frazier and seven others ofyears of military service. Bill Craven, the Rust College Student Governmentone of Donald\'s buddies, said, " It was Associationchallengingtheelectoralan honor and privilege to know Donald systemtoallowcollegestudentstowho taught by his actions and words."voteinthecitieswheretheyattend- DonaldwasadevoutChristian,as edcollege.Theywonthelawsuitonwell as a strong family man who pro-September 18, 1974. Since Rust Collegevided for his family. Donald\'s favorite students won the case, it granted col- hobbywascooking,andhisspecial-lege students nationwide the right totywasbarbecue.Hewasextremely vote in the cities where they attendedfriendly and never met a stranger.college. In 1976, when Donald was aDonaldwasmarriedtoBarbara junior, he ran for and won the ElectionTuckerfor44years,andtheyhave Commissioner\'spositioninMarshallthreechildrenandeightgrandchil-County. He was the first student anddren.African American to be elected to this position in Mississippi and, most like- He has four brothers and four sis-ly, in the United States of America. ters.DonaldLee\'sfinalrestingplace Donald\'swife,BarbaraCatledgeis at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Tucker,isaRustgraduate,andherCentral in Radcliff, Kentucky.brotherWilliamCatledgeandthreeSpecial Note:Rust College students\' sistersVirginia,Brenda,andMargieinvolvementinpoliticsandthecivil Catledge also graduated Rust. Donaldrightsmovementhadasignificant and Barbara\'s daughter Barbette "Joy"impactontheoutcomeofthe2020 Johnson, the oldest of three children,election.Theactionthatwastaken also graduated from Rust and servedby Rust College students 48 years ago asStudentGovernmentAssociationallowed college students to vote in the president.DonaldandJoyweretheelection in the city where they attended first father and daughter to both servecollege. Further, college students\' votes as President of SGA. Donald\'s brother,played a significant role in deciding the JamesTucker,wasthefirstofthewinner of the election between Joseph fourbrotherstoattendandgradu- Biden and Donald Trump for President ate from Rust College. Their brothers,oftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.See HaroldandRalphTuckerarealsoLeroyFrazierandsevenothersvs. Rust College graduates. In keeping toCallicutt lawsuit.the Rust College tradition, their sisterDonaldwasthebeneficiaryofthe DianaGrayattendedRustforthreelawsuit filed on October 11, 1972.6 MARCH 2021 BOCNEWS.com'