Lt. General Julius Becton Jr. was a Korean War and Vietnam War veteran who went on to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under President Ronald Reagan.
- Died: November 28, 2023 (Who else died on November 28?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 97.
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Julius Becton Jr.’s legacy
Born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Becton joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1944. He served during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and continued his education while in the military, earning degrees from Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) University, the University of Maryland, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College, and the National War College.
Becton continued in leadership roles throughout the Cold War. By 1978, he had attained the rank of Lt. General and commanded the VII Corps in Europe. After almost 40 years, he retired from active military service in 1983. After retirement, he was Director of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance in the United States Agency for International Development (US AID) before being tapped by President Ronald Reagan in 1985 to head FEMA.
Becton left FEMA in 1989 to begin a new career in education. For six years, he was president of Prairie View A&M University. In 1996, he was appointed superintendent of the Washington, D.C., public school system.
During his military career, Becton earned the Distinguished Service Medal, two Silver Stars, two Legion of Merit medals, two Purple Hearts, and a Distinguished Service Award Association. Ebony magazine named him “One of the 100 Most Influential Blacks in America.” He told his story in his 2008 autobiography, “Becton: Autobiography of a Soldier and Public Servant.”
Notable quote
“I can still remember the days back in the early ‘40s, sitting in the back of the bus, drinking from the fountains that said, ‘Colored.’”—from an address at the American Veterans Center’s 2008 conference
Tributes to Julius Becton
Full obituary: The New York Times
