John Stevenson Jr.

John R. Stevenson, Jr. COLUMBIA Funeral services for Dr. John R. Stevenson, Jr. will be held Monday 11:00 a.m. (viewing 10:00 a.m.) at Northminster Presbyterian Church, with entombment to follow in the Crescent Hill Memorial Gardens. A Visitation will be held this afternoon from 4:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. at the Leevy's Funeral Home, Taylor Street Chapel. He was the son of the late Reverend John Robert Stevenson and Mrs. Lillie Mae Martin Stevenson. Dr. Stevenson was born on February 1, 1931, in Columbia South Carolina. He was united in Holy Matrimony to the late Mrs. Mattie Swittenberg Stevenson on August 12, 1954. This union was blessed with two sons, Michael Duane Stevenson (deceased) and Seitu A.M.S Amenwahsu; and one grandson, John-Michael Goforth-Stevenson. Dr. John R. Stevenson served in the United States Army Signal Corps as a Second Lieutenant Cryptographic Security officer from 1951 to 1954, during the Korean War with tours of duty at the Pentagon, Germany, and France. He began his teaching career with Richland School District One in 1955 as a Sixth Grade Elementary School Teacher, and later held the following positions in the district: Head Teacher, Principal, Superintendent of Instruction, Superintendent of Operations, Assistant Superintendent, Associate Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent and retired as Superintendent in 1994 after 39 years of service. He was the first African American to hold that position in Richland School District One. Upon his retirement from Richland One, Dr. Stevenson was named Superintendent Emeritus. The Richland School District One's main office building was named in his honor.