Thomas Montgomery Gregory’s Path to Ft. Des Moines

75 E Army Post Rd,Des Moines IA 50315

15 October, 2022

Description

DISCLAIMER: In accordance with the CDC regulations a mask is required to enter this event and when moving around indoors. A current vaccination card & matching government ID or a negative PCR test within 72 hours is required for entry. Sheila Gregory Thomas was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the youngest of the six offspring of Thomas Montgomery Gregory and Hugh Ella Hancock. She was so very much younger than her siblings that they jokingly referred to her as “The Last of the Mohicans,” after the novel of that name. Upon graduation from high school, where she won recognition for her art work and her performances in school plays, she entered Howard University, where her father and grandfather had once been faculty members. Undecided on a major, but torn between art and theater, she eventually followed the urging of one of her brothers by opting to major in Spanish with a minor in Education — while managing to squeeze in a few classes in art, and participation in The Howard Players (which was founded by her father). After receiving her B.A. in Spanish, a teaching program in the DC public schools especially attracted her: “Foreign Languages in Elementary Schools” (FLES), a very creative and successful language learning program for young children. She became a member of the FLES team. Following several rewarding years with FLES she was encouraged to audition at a television station, WMAL. She called and was informed that the auditions were closed, but after a few moments of conversation the program manager asked her to come audition. She did, and was immediately hired. This led to her becoming the creator, producer, and host of an award-winning educational program for children: “The Magic Door,” and one of the first on-camera African Americans in DC. In time, The Magic Door opened new opportunities for Ms. Thomas, in public relations, writing, and media consulting. Aside from working independently, she also utilized her media and writing skills for the office of the vice chairman of the DC City Council, as well as for two departments within the U.S. Department of the Interior: the National Park Service and the Heritage, Conservation, and Recreation Service. Among her published materials are three biographies of family members, included in the 2008 volume of the African American National Biography, a collaboration between Harvard University and the Oxford University Press. She was initiator, writer and co-compiler of a directory of resources in Washington, DC for Latinos, titled Al Grano. Published in 1975, Al Grano was acknowledged as the first such publicationto be available to the growing community of native Spanish speakers in Washington, DC. Sheila Gregory Thomas lives in the District of Columbia. She is the mother of two sons, Curt and Joel, and has five grandchildren. Catering Provided by Palm’s Caribbean Cuisine Host Hotel Holiday Inn Des Moines Downtown Address: 1050 6th Ave, Des Moines, IA 50314 Phone: (515) 283-0151 Holiday Inn Hotel Booking Link Registrants will receive a commemorative coin, a replica of the Phi Beta Sigma display, light refreshments after Mrs. Thomas’s talk, and self tour of the Fort Des Moines.