Raymond V. Haysbert facts for kids

Raymond V. Haysbert Sr. (born January 19, 1920 – died May 24, 2010) was an important American business leader and civil rights activist. He lived in Baltimore, Maryland, for most of his life.

During World War II, Haysbert served as a pilot with the famous Tuskegee Airmen. This was a group of African-American military pilots. After the war, he became a successful business executive. He led the Parks Sausage Company, making it one of the largest Black-owned businesses in the United States.

Raymond Haysbert was also very active in the American civil rights movement. He worked to help African Americans gain equal rights. He was the chairman of the Greater Baltimore Urban League, a group that helps people in cities. He passed away in 2010 at the age of 90.

Early Life and Military Service

Raymond Haysbert was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1920. His family was not wealthy. He worked for a coal company to help support his family. Later, he earned a degree in accounting from Wilberforce University.

When World War II began, Haysbert joined the military. He became part of the Tuskegee Airmen. This was the first all-Black fighter pilot squadron in U.S. history. He served bravely in Italy and Africa during the war. After the war ended, he returned to Wilberforce University to teach.

A Leader in Business

In 1952, Raymond Haysbert moved to Baltimore. He was asked by Henry G. Parks Jr., who started Parks Sausage Company, to join his team. Haysbert began as an accountant and office manager. He quickly moved up in the company. He became general manager, then executive vice president. Eventually, he became the president and CEO of Parks Sausage Company.

As CEO, Haysbert helped the company grow a lot. It became one of the biggest Black-owned businesses in the U.S. Parks Sausage Company was so successful that it made history in 1969. It was the first minority-owned company to have its shares traded on a stock exchange. This meant that people could buy and sell parts of the company.

Under Haysbert's leadership, Parks Sausage supplied food to big restaurant chains. These included Domino's Pizza and Pizza Hut. In 1991, he was named National Minority Entrepreneur of the Year. At that time, Parks Sausage was a $26 million company with 240 employees.

Helping the Community

Raymond Haysbert was also a strong supporter of the civil rights movement. Starting in the 1960s, he worked to help elect Black politicians. One example was Harry A. Cole, who became Maryland's first African-American state senator.

In 1983, Haysbert created the President’s Roundtable. This was a group where Black business leaders could meet and work together. He was also the chairman of the board for the Greater Baltimore Urban League. This group is part of the National Urban League. He helped make the group financially strong again. He served there until his death in 2010.

Haysbert believed in the power of education. In the 1990s, he helped create a program at Johns Hopkins University. It was called the Leadership Development Program for Minority Managers. This program helped Black professionals learn more about business. In 2004, the Raymond V. Haysbert Research Center was named in his honor. It is an applied research facility at Coppin State University.

In 1992, he told a newspaper that even though he "started in the ghetto, black, poor, on welfare," it was still possible to succeed in America without government help.

Legacy and Passing

Raymond Haysbert passed away in Baltimore on May 24, 2010, from heart failure. The Baltimore Sun newspaper called him an "elder statesman of Maryland's African-American business community." The president of the Baltimore City Council called him a "courageous American hero."

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said that Haysbert used his success to help many other minority-owned businesses. He helped them start and grow in Baltimore. He was survived by his wife, Carol, and his four children.