Cornelius Roscoe Richardson 

Attorney/ Business Owner/ Veteran/ Media 

Born: April 27, 1886 in Athens, Georgia (moved to Richmond in 1912)
Died: December 1, 1964, in Richmond, Indiana
Education: Tuskegee Institute in 1905 and Howard University in Washington D.C. in 1911
Political/Law Career: In 1924, President Coolidge appointed him U.S. Commissioner to the Virgin Islands to investigate the social and racial conditions of the United States’s recent acquisitions. In 1956, he became the first African-American delegate to the Republican National Convention and served as an honorary convention vice-president. He practiced law in Richmond for his entire life here.
Career in Business: In 1917, Richardson served as secretary for the 
Military Service: He served in the military during World War I and helped to establish the American Legion in Indiana.
Community Involvement: He was one of the founders of the Townsend Community Center. In 1976, an elementary school on South J Street was named the C.R. Richardson Elementary School.

George Sawyer

Attorney/  Educator/ Veteran

Born: April 27, 1925, in Kokomo, Indiana (moved to  Richmond in 1934)
Died: July 31, 2002, in Richmond, Indiana
Education: Howard University School of Law, 1958
Military Service: Served as a Private in the U.S. Marines during World War II. He was a part of the award-winning Moore-Irvin Drill Team in the 1950s. 
Law Career: George used his education to fight for desegregation in Richmond. According to George, once he arrived home from law school, he walked into the first restaurant he saw and demanded to be served. When he was rejected, he placed one of his law books on the counter and threatened to sue. He continued to practice law to fight racism for the rest of his life.
Educator Career: George directed Earlham College’s Urban Studies Program and also taught in the Political Science Department.
 Activist Career: In addition to using the law to fight racism, George also engaged in peaceful protests. In 1971, he (and many high school and Earlham students) protested against racist teachers at Richmond High School. Even after being arrested for doing so, George remained committed to standing up for what was right.

Julius Judkins

Attorney/ Veteran

Born: October 26, 1920, in Marion, Indiana (moved to Richmond in 1948)
Died: October 23, 1955, in Cincinnati, Ohio
Education: Miami University (Oxford, Ohio); Columbia University; Indiana University; Lincoln University School of Law at St. Louis, Missouri.
Military Service: Served in the air force during World War II, in the European theater. He was a member of the Moore-Irvin Post and of the American Legion.
Law Career: He was the secretary of the National Bar Association, on the legal staff for the NAACP, and was a member of the Indiana State and Wayne County bar associations.

Clyde Williams Jr.

Born: February 23, 1939 in Calhoun County, South Carolina.
Died: December 10, 2011 in Richmond, Indiana. 
Education: Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, N.C.; Howard University Law School, Washington, D.C. (1965)
Law Career: In 1966 George Sawyer offered him a position in Richmond. Clyde went on to establish the law firm of Williams, Delaney, and Simkins. He served on the Protection Advocacy State Board, which fought for the rights of people with disabilities. He also served as president of the Wayne County Bar Association. Community Engagement: He was actively involved in his church (Bethel A.M.E) and volunteered much of his time to ensure the people in his community were fed.

Joseph Perkins

Education: He graduated Richmond High School in 1982. He graduated with a Political Science degree from Princeton University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia Law. 
Career in Law: He has served as an attorney and counsel for several organizations for thirty-three years. For the past five years, he served as Corporate Counsel of Regulatory and Global Business Operations for Allison Transmission, he is currently the Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Citizens Energy Group in Indianapolis. 
Community Involvement: He is currently the Martin University Board of Trustees Chair and a Board Member for the Indiana Stadium and Convention Center Building Authority. He previously served on the Board of Trustees of Franklin College and was a member of the Indiana Election Commission
Awards: He was awarded the Business Turn Around Award and First Chair Award as Top Assistant General Counsel at Cummins.