Oleta Crain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Oleta Crain
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| Birth name | Oleta Lawanda Crain |
| Born | September 8, 1913 Earlsboro, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | November 7, 2007 (aged 94) Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/ |
United States Army, United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1943–1963 |
| Rank | Major |
| Awards | Air Force Longevity Service Award with four bronze oak leaf clusters United States Department of Labor Distinguished Service Award Colorado Women's Hall of Fame (1988) |
| Other work | Regional administrator, United States Women's Bureau, Denver (1984–1998) |
Oleta Lawanda Crain (September 8, 1913 – November 7, 2007) was an amazing African-American military officer and government worker. She worked hard for equal rights for Black women and to end segregation. In 1943, she was one of only three African-American women out of 300 nationwide to join officer training in the U.S. military. She served in the United States Air Force for 20 years and became a Major.
After her military career, Oleta Crain worked for the United States Department of Labor. In 1984, she became a regional leader for the United States Women's Bureau in Denver, Colorado. She traveled a lot, speaking to women about their job rights, fair pay, and career chances. She received many awards and was honored in the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1988.
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Oleta's Early Life and Education
Oleta Lawanda Crain was born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma. She grew up in Wewoka. She finished high school at Douglass High School. She studied at Langston University and later earned her bachelor's degree in social science from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Later, she earned another degree in business administration. This was from the University of Maryland's extension university in Germany. She also took special courses at famous schools like Harvard University and Cambridge University in England. After starting her government career, she earned her master's degree in public administration.
Oleta's Military Career
In the early 1940s, Oleta Crain taught gym and history at a segregated school in Oklahoma. She moved to Colorado for better work. In 1942, she got a job at the Denver Ordnance Plant. She was inspired to join the military after seeing a poster for the Women's Army Corps. The poster asked women to join military bands to help with the war.
When she joined, she found out they were not looking for Black women. But Oleta completed basic training and applied for officer training. She became one of only three Black women out of 300 nationwide to enter officer training in 1943.
Rising Through the Ranks
Oleta Crain was promoted to corporal in December 1942. In February 1943, she became a company leader for an African-American unit. Later that year, she joined the regular Women's Army Corps as an Air Force Second Lieutenant.
Facing Challenges and Discrimination
Oleta Crain often faced racial discrimination in the army. For example, Black women officers could not sleep in the same barracks as white women. They also couldn't use the showers at the same time. If Oleta took her company to the swimming pool, they were often told the schedule had changed. If they did swim, the pool would be cleaned the next day. Oleta often joked about these unfair rules.
After World War II, First Lieutenant Crain was the only Black woman kept in the U.S. military. The Pentagon asked her to stay after the army ended segregation in 1947. They said she got along well with the troops. She was promoted to Captain in May 1948. She then worked in intelligence at Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts.
She was once accused of being a communist. She went through many months of investigations. In the end, she received a top-secret security clearance.
Serving Around the World
Oleta Crain served in many places. She was a personnel director in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1951. From 1952 to 1955, she was a test control officer at an American base in England. She also worked as a manpower officer in Germany. She retired from active duty in June 1963 as a Major.
Oleta's Government Career
In 1964, Oleta Crain started working for the United States Department of Labor in Washington, D.C.. She was a specialist in manpower development. She later moved to the Boston office. There, she helped lead the agency's Office of Job Service for New England. While there, she earned her master's degree and taught night classes for five years.
By 1974, she became a women's program coordinator. She also became an equal employment opportunity officer for the Boston office. She spoke to women across the country about their job rights.
Helping Women in Denver
In 1984, she moved to Denver, Colorado. She became the regional leader of the agency's United States Women's Bureau. She worked to improve job conditions, wages, and career choices for women. She met with many individuals and women's groups. She also helped organize conferences on topics like child care, health benefits, job training, and working conditions. She retired in December 1998.
Awards and Honors for Oleta
Oleta Crain received many awards for her service. She earned an Air Force Longevity Service Award. She also received a Distinguished Career Service award from the U.S. Department of Labor. She was given a Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award. The Governor of Kentucky even made her an honorary Kentucky Colonel.
In 1988, Oleta Crain was honored in the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor honored her contributions during Black History Month.
Oleta's Legacy
Oleta Crain passed away in Denver on November 7, 2007, at 94 years old.
She donated her important documents and items from her military service to the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library in Denver.
The Denver chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, which Oleta was a part of, created a scholarship in her name. The Oleta Lawanda Crain Scholarship helps female high school seniors from Missouri, Oklahoma, and California. They must plan to study at a historically black college. The Oleta Crain Enrichment Academy Community Center in Denver was also named to honor her.
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Oleta Lawanda Crain
