John Hervey Wheeler (January 1, 1908 – July 6, 1978) was an American bank president, businessman, civil rights leader, and educator based in North Carolina. Throughout his life, Wheeler was recognized for his accomplishments by various institutions across the country. John H. Wheeler started as a bank teller at

Mechanics and Farmers Bank The Mechanics and Farmers Bank (abbreviated as M&F Bank) is an American bank owned by M&F Bancorp, Inc based in Durham, North Carolina. It served as one of the most influential African-American businesses in North Carolina in the 20th century. ...

, and worked his way up to become the bank's president in 1952. In the 1960s, Wheeler became increasingly active in United States politics, carrying several White House positions appointed by Presidents

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

, and

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

Personal life

John H. Wheeler was born on the campus of

Kittrell College Kittrell College was a two-year historically black college located in Kittrell, North Carolina from 1886 until 1975. It was associated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. After the college closed, many of its facilities became the Kitt ...

in 1908, to John Leonidas and Margaret Hervey Wheeler. In 1935, he married Selena Warren Wheeler and they subsequently had two children, Warren and Julia. Wheeler died in 1978. In 2017, a bill was introduced into congress to rename the courthouse in

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

the ''John Hervey Wheeler United States Courthouse'' in recognition of his achievements.

Education and banking career

John H. Wheeler began his academic career at

Morehouse College , mottoeng = And there was light (literal translation of Latin itself translated from Hebrew: "And light was made") , type = Private historically black men's liberal arts college , academic_affiliations ...

in 1925. He graduated

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1929. In 1947, Wheeler graduated from the law school at the North Carolina College at Durham (now North Carolina Central University). He was also an active member of

Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, by three Howard University juniors Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, and their faculty advi ...

fraternity, Beta Phi chapter. Beginning as a teller at the Mechanics and Farmers Bank in 1929, he rose to become president of the bank in 1952.

Activism

The activism and leadership of John H. Wheeler thrived in the 1950s and 1960s. He was heavily involved in politics and education through various positions within the federal government and on various boards of trustees for institutions like

Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Founde ...

, Lincoln Hospital, and the National Scholarship Service for Negro Students. While serving two presidents, Wheeler devoted his time to the development of low-income housing, focused on race relations, and the elimination of poverty. He had working relationships with a number of United States presidents, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon B. Johnson, who invited him to assist in drafting the

Civil Rights Act of 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 () is a landmark civil rights and United States labor law, labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on Race (human categorization), race, Person of color, color, religion, sex, and nationa ...

. In 1956, John H. Wheeler was also the first African-American to bring an integration suit in the state of North Carolina.

United Negro College Fund (UNCF)

John H. Wheeler was an active member of the

United Negro College Fund UNCF, the United Negro College Fund, also known as the United Fund, is an American philanthropic organization that funds scholarships for black students and general scholarship funds for 37 private historically black colleges and universities. ...

, where he attended several meetings and convocations for decades. In March 1966 at the UNCF Role of Business Convocation, Wheeler delivered a powerful speech concerning the need for more training and opportunities for African-American scholars. Through UNCF, Wheeler was able to advocate for the need of higher educational opportunities for the black community.

Leadership positions

* 1952–1978: President of

in Durham, North Carolina * 1961-1965: President John F. Kennedy's Committee for Equal Employment Opportunity and Urban Housing * 1963-1968: President of the

Southern Regional Council The Southern Regional Council (SRC) is a reform-oriented organization created in 1944 to avoid racial violence and promote racial equality in the Southern United States. Voter registration and political-awareness campaigns are used toward this en ...

* 1964: First black delegate in North Carolina to the National Convention of the Democratic Party * 1965-1967: President Lyndon B. Johnson's National Advisory Commission on Food and Fiber

Honorary degrees

* 1954: Doctor of Laws from

Shaw University Shaw University is a private Baptist historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in ...

, (Raleigh, NC) * 1962: Doctor of Humanities from

Tuskegee Institute Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature. The campus was de ...

, (Tuskegee, AL) * 1963: Doctor of Laws from Johnson L. Smith University, (Charlotte, NC) * 1967: Doctor of Humanities from

, (Atlanta, GA) * 1970: Doctor of Humanities from

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...

, (Durham, NC) * 1971: Doctor of Humanities from

North Carolina Central University North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a public historically black university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliation with the Chautauqua movement in 1909, it was supported by private funds from b ...

, (Durham, NC)

References

Other sources

* John H. Wheeler Collection. Archives and Special Collections. Robert W. Woodruff Library at Atlanta University Center. * Winford, Brandon. ''John Hervey Wheeler, Black Banking, and the Economic Struggle for Civil Rights''. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2019. {{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, John Hervey American bank presidents American civil rights activists 1908 births 1978 deaths People from Kittrell, North Carolina