Randolph Bromery facts for kids

Randolph Wilson ("Bill") Bromery (born January 18, 1926 – died February 26, 2013) was an American teacher and geologist. He was also a former leader, called Chancellor, of the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1971 to 1979.

While he was Chancellor, Bromery helped create the W.E.B. Du Bois Archives at the University of Massachusetts. He also helped start the Five College Consortium, which connects several colleges. He was even the President of the Geological Society of America. Bromery made many important contributions as a geologist and a leader in education. During World War II, he was a brave member of the Tuskegee Airmen, flying missions in Italy.

His Life Story

Early Life and Military Service

Bill Bromery was born in Cumberland, Maryland, on January 18, 1926. When he was young, he learned how to work with machines. He started working as a machinist in Detroit. Later, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. He became one of the famous Tuskegee Airmen. These were African-American military pilots who flew important missions in Italy during World War II.

Becoming a Geologist

After leaving the Army in 1945, Bromery went to Howard University. At the same time, he worked full-time at the U.S. Geological Survey. He was an airborne exploration geophysicist. This means he studied the Earth's physical properties from the air. He was the first Black professional geophysicist to work for the USGS. He earned his first degree in Mathematics in 1956.

He then continued his studies in geology. He earned a Master's degree in 1962 from American University. He later received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins in 1968. His studies focused on understanding the Earth's magnetic field. He used this information to find minerals. His work at Johns Hopkins even won an award from the United States Department of the Interior.

Leading the University of Massachusetts

In 1969, Bromery joined the Geology Department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He quickly became a full professor. By 1971, he was named Chancellor of the University. He was only the second African American to lead a mostly white university campus. He was the first in the Northeast region of the United States.

As Chancellor, Bromery started many important projects. He was key in setting up the Five Colleges Consortium. Under his leadership, the University of Massachusetts also became a leading place for African-American studies. He made sure that important papers from W. E. B. Du Bois and Horace Mann Bond came to the University's special collections. The library there is now named the W. E. B. Du Bois Library. Bromery also loved music and played the saxophone. He brought famous jazz musicians like Max Roach and Archie Shepp to teach at the university.

Helping Students and Faculty

Soon after he started teaching, Bromery and six other African-American professors created a committee. This committee was called the Committee for the Collegiate Education of Black Students. Its goal was to find and support Black students at the university. While Bromery was Chancellor, the university greatly increased the number of minority students and women. They also hired more minority and women professors.

Throughout his career, Bromery worked hard to help minorities and women succeed in science. He was part of a special group for the National Academy of Sciences that focused on getting more minorities into science. Bromery and his wife also created several awards and scholarships for minorities. These include the Bromery Award for Minorities with the Geological Society of America. They also set up a fellowship at Johns Hopkins and a fund at UMass Amherst. In 2007, he was honored by the National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists.

Later Career and Family

After stepping down as Chancellor in 1979, Bromery continued to teach at the University. He also stayed involved with many other professional and academic groups. He was president of the Geological Society of America in 1989. He also served on the boards of large companies like Exxon and John Hancock Insurance. He held leadership roles at other colleges, including Westfield State College and Springfield College. He also served on the board of trustees for many colleges, including Johns Hopkins. From 2003 to 2007, he was on the President's Committee for the National Medal of Science.

Bromery married Cecile Trescott in 1947. They met while studying at Howard University. They had five children: Keith, Dennis, David, Christopher, and Carol Ann.

Awards and Honors

• National Academy of Sciences Outstanding Black Scientist Award (1997)
• Many honorary doctorates (special degrees) from universities like UMass Amherst and Johns Hopkins.
• Honorary President of Soodo Women's University in Seoul, Korea (1976).
• Fellow of the African Scientific Institute and the Geological Society of America.
• Honoree of Distinction from the National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists (2007).
• Distinguished Service Award from the Geological Society of America (1999).
• Distinguished Alumnus Awards from Howard University, University of Massachusetts, and Johns Hopkins University.
• William Pynchon Award (1992) for great community service.
• Several awards and programs are named after Dr. Bromery, like the Dr. Randolph W. Bromery STEM Scholars Program and the Geological Society of America's Randolph W. "Bill" and Cecile T. Bromery Award.

More Information

• H. Cary (1962), The University of Massachusetts: A History of 100 Years
• James H. Kessler (1996), Distinguished African American Scientists of the 20th Century
• Alexander E. Gates (2009), A to Z of Earth Scientists, "Bromery, Randolph W. (Bill)", pp. 37–38.