Joseph Cyrus Awkard Jr.

Joseph Cyrus Awkard Jr. Joseph Cyrus Awkard Jr., 85, a psychology professor, died Sunday, Feb. 26, 2006, in Washington, D.C. He is survived by his wife, Julita Awkard. The service will be at 11 a.m. EST Monday at Good Shephard Catholic Church in Tallahassee, with burial at Newtown Cemetery in Harrisonburg, Va. Family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. EST Sunday at Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home, Riggins Road Chapel in Tallahassee (850-877-8191). Professor Awkard was born Dec. 29, 1920, in Harrisonburg and was a longtime resident of Tallahassee. He received his Bachelor of Arts in history from Virginia State University in 1942, his Master of Science in psychology from Virginia State University and his education doctorate in psychology from the University of Virginia in 1964. From 1942 to 1954 he served as a lieutenant with the 614th Tank Destroyer Batallion in the U. S. Army. From 1986 on, he was professor emeritus of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Florida A&M University. From 1979 to 1986, he was a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. From 1954 to 1979 he was professor and chairman of the psychology department at Florida A&M University. From 1946 to 1954, he was principal/teacher at D.W. Davis School in Staunton, Va. He also was a published author in the area of psychology. He served as adviser to the American Psychological Association Committee on Equal Opportunity in Psychology, adviser to the Congressional Task Force on Education of Exceptional Children (94th congress) and adviser to the U. S. Congressional Black Caucus (Health Brain Trust). He received the Presidential Unit Citation while serving with the 614th Tank Destroyer Battalion for action against the Germans in the Rhineland Campaign in 1945, during World War II. He received the Distinguished Service Award for publishing the newsletter of the National Association of Black Psychologists in 1970, received the Distinguished Service Award (Southern Regional Education Board) in 1980 and received the Distinguished Behavioral Science Award from the Association of Black Psychologists. He served as president of the National Association of Black Psychologists and was a member of Omega Psi Phi. Other survivors include three children, Jane Awkard Marks, Linda N. Awkard and Carol Awkard Neyland; three grandchildren, John R. Marks IV, Lindsey Wallis Neyland and Edward Joseph Awkard Dual; two sons-in-law, John R. Marks III and Joseph Frederick Dual; a sister, Mary Frances Awkard Fairfax; a niece, MaryAnn Tucker; and a grandnephew, Travis D. Tucker.