VEAL MASTERS of EDUCATION
of Baldwin County, GA
by Johnette Brooks

State of Georgia Archives Staffers with Johnette Brooks

The nationally published First Family of Education are The Veals of Baldwin County’s were published in the December, 2010 issue of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society Journal.  They have also been recognized by The State of Georgia Archives by accepting their family history book entitled "A Slaveholder Legacy of Education: The Veal-Solomon Branch of the Pearson-Solomon-Webster Family History of Milledgeville, GA 1832 – 2010." The University of Georgia Hargrett Reference Library purchased  both the above-referenced edition number one, as well, as addition number two. The Collins-Solomon Family which highlights the only marked headstone in the Lattimore Place II Slave Cemetery hosted by Sarah Brantley, Ennis Family Descendant and Milledgeville Convention, Tour Guide and the keeper of the keys to access the cemetery. The Lattimore Place Two Cemetery has been documented by Susan Harrington (also on the tour), Founder, Friends of the Cemeteries, and Pvt. Willie B. Collins, Sr., Korean War Veteran,  Collins-Solomon Family Historian Number One, Friendship Baptist Church Missionary Society Cemetery Groundskeeper and Highway 24 African American Oral Historian.

Henry Veal and Mamie Solomon Veal are the founders of the Veal Family of Education. Sgt. Henry Veal, II (1895 – 1970) was promoted from private just months after being drafted; then Mess Sgt. just days after that. While working for S.B. Fowler, as a farmer, Henry was summoned by President Wilson into World War I during the first draft according the June, 1917  Union Recorder newspaper. He was stationed in France for ten months during World War I. He served as the Mess Sergeant Chef to the G.E.A.P.  Army officers. He  served honorably yet was demoted after returning to the U. S on August 23, 1919. Henry was demoted in February 1919, as was customary during that time to avoid paying Negroes higher pensions upon discharge. Several of The Veal Educators are descendants are Henry’s parents, Henry Veal, I (1847 – 1919) & Lucy Ann Hearst (1848-1900) of Deepstep, GA a former Washington County slave. Deepstep, GA is also the home of Elijah Mohammed.  (Good European American People, pronounced JEEP)  Mamie Solomon Veal (1900 - 1953) was born to James Solomon (1847-1919) of Wilkinson County and Katy Pearson (1876 – 1952). Mamie’s maternal grandparents Augusts Pearson (1852-1910) Elvira Webster Pearson (1855 – 1922) was purchased a 90 acre lot from Edith Robinson of Hartford, CT after completing a four-year agreement to pay $112.50 in October each per year at Howard M. Smith & Company Law Firm in Macon, GA in 1904.
  Although Mamie only has a fifth grade education, she was a very intelligent lady. Henry was honorable discharged from the Army on 30 AUG. 1919.  In 1920, Henry lived only twelve (12) doors from Mamie when he returned from the war. She, smartly and quickly, locked him down in holy matrimony by January of the following year. The first of the historic VEAL SIX EDUCATORS was born thirteen months later.  Mamie, a true Soulja in her own right born eleven (11) children while working as a sharecropper in the hot, blazing son. Unfortunately, only nine (9) survived pass six weeks old. Although we have no confirmation of this slaveholder legacy, we believe the words “Once you get an education, no one can take it away from you” was passed down from slavery. Mamie, former slave grandmother Elvira, passed on the importance of education taught to her by her slaveholder, Richard Lamar.

The Veal SIX Sibling Educators
Katie, Annie, Mattye, Gladys, Juanita and Alton Veal comprise The VEAL SIX Sibling Educators of Milledgeville, GA. They taught in Baldwin and DeKalb Counties, GA, as well as, in the New York City. The first five siblings Katie, Mary, Henry, Annie and Rosa attended Eddy High graduating from circa 1937 – 1946.   Gladys and Alton graduated from Boddie in 1958 and 1961, respectively. Katie and Annie were taught by Sallie E. Davis and also taught at Sallie E. Davis Middle School.
There’s more! Frank Veal and Dorothy Veal Grimes Lattimore were the ancestors who passed on family legacy; that was probably instilled in them by their slaveholder family, The Lamars-Latimers- Lattimore of Fairfield. Fairfield was a 10K Acre estate obtained during the late 1700’s land lottery for service during the Indian, Revolutionary and Civil Wars. These descendant slaveholders likely taught the Solomon Ancestors and VEAL Sharecroppers that “once you get an education no one can take it away from you.”

Katie Veal Hill, B.S. 1921-1986, VEAL SIX #1, was recognized on October 23, 2010, by Ft. Valley State Alumni President, Dorothy Moss, with a Resolution from Fort Valley State University for her influence on and her mentorship to students from Milledgeville and throughout the State of Georgia  to become educators. She has also been nominated for the 2011 Georgia Women of Achievement Award. Ft Valley’s Director of Career and Alumni Affairs. Clara Braswell provided documentation of Katie’s influence by providing the degrees of twelve (12) African American Milledgevillians who obtained degrees from in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. November 23, 2010, a Riverhill Student of the three of the VEAL SIX Douglas Ellison posted on Facebook “Wow!! Such rich history. 3 of these Ladies touched my life in such a positive way, Mrs. Hill, Mrs. Madison, and Mrs. Brooks. Teachers who truly cared.”

Annie Veal Brooks, M.S. 1927-2006,VEAL SIX #2, Ivy League was the first from Milledgeville’s Springhill District to graduate from college in 1947. After obtaining her B.S. from Morris Brown, she obtained her Ivy League Master of Science from Columbia University in 1962. Annie taught 7th grade in Baldwin County’s Sallie Davis Middle School for 11 years. She was beloved my many of her students. Most say “Mrs. Brooks is the teacher that changes your life. The one you always remember.” At her funeral three of her age sixtyish students paid their sympathies, with simultaneous tears and smiles to her daughter, Johnette and son, Calvin Brooks, II clutching books and stating this was the first book they owned and your mother gave it to me. Johnette was amazed they still had the books and thought enough of her mom to bring them to the funeral. Again, wow! A half-century later, now that's influence!        Annie retired from the NYC Board of Education in 1987, with an additional 23 years of service as a Reading Specialist from P.S. 155 in Brooklyn. She was also one of the founding members of Milledgeville’s Black Brickman’s Wives Association, a member of Toastmasters; Flagg Chapel Baptist in Milledgeville; Emanuel Baptist in Brooklyn, NY and St. Phillips AME in Decatur, GA until her death. Her former husband was Calvin Brooks, I, a WWII 4x Medal Recipient, Red Ball Express Dump Truck Drivers, 1970-1971 Post 523 American Legion Commander and Milledgeville’s African American Campaign Manager for Jimmy Carter’s gubernatorial winning campaign in 1971.

Mattye Veal Binion, M.S. 1935-2006, VEAL SIX # 3, is best known as "Libby." In 1971, she obtained her Bachelors degree from Ft. Valley State and her M.S. from City University of NY in 1978. She was instrumental in donating the Veal Café’ (her parents) and Fort Valley State-Milledgeville Alumni Chapter benches in Downtown Freedom Heritage Plaza. For 20+ years she served as the Director of the Irving Place Day Early Childhood Development Center in Brooklyn, NY with additional years in the New York City Public School System. Libby was also known to have corralled the Milledgevillian students and Ft. Valley and force them to participate in the FVSC Milledgevillian meeting chuckled Jon Peeler, Milledgeville’s American Idol 2011 Finalist, FVSU-Milledgevillian Chapter Member and soloist  at her homecoming. The 2006 National Ft. Valley’s Alumni President, Charles Robinson, Jr. honored the family by personally attending the Homegoing to read the Resolution issued by the FVSU Alumni Chapter. Graduation Photo

Gladys Veal Bolden, B.S. 1937-1989. VEAL SIX #4,  best known as Sweet, received her B.A. from Allen University in Columbia S.C. in 1963. She was honored with a  plague and room named after her in the Audrey Johnson Day Care Center in Brooklyn, NY; where she was a teacher for 25+ years. She has a pictorial and historical family collection of 10,000 pictures, original newspaper articles  Dear Abby clippings and enough 1970’s HBCU half time continuous images to male a short film. Many of the images are a pictorial history of Boddie High School, her Boddie High and Allen University classmates and images around 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s Milledgeville, Allen University, family holidays, funerals and New York City. Johnette says Willie Collins, PSW Family Historian number one of the Pearson Solomon Webster Family, the maternal branch of the VEAL SIX family has been extraordinarily benevolent in passing on the oral history and maintaining the family cemetery at Friendship Baptist Church on GA Hwy 24. But it is Sweet, PSW Family Historian number two, who left a trail of crumbs in the family photos and articles that makes it possible to fully document The VEAL legacy. “Sweet was the coolest aunt ever, I miss and give honor to her everyday by being the best Auntie Johnette to her granddaughters born after her passing” states a tearful and humble Johnette. During our 2009 PSW Ancestral Tour hosted by MCVB Tour Guide and new property owner of the famous Ennis Family of Milledgeville, Gladys’ granddaughters, age 6, 8 and 9 at the time, asked “Do you think our 6G Grandma and her sisters played on this spot when they were children?” When I started to cry, they pointed, laughed and said “Don’t mind Auntie Johnette, she does that all the time, she just really, really happy.”  What a treat they missed not knowing their grandma. Gladys has 13 grands by 2 off springs, Kim has four girls and Earl, the DeKalb County Fireman/Certified EMT has nine, 1 boy and 8 girls.

Juanita Veal Madison, MS, Ivy League,  VEAL SIX #5. the baby girl, taught briefly at Carver Elementary after receiving her B.S. from Allen University, South Carolina, in 1962 and her Master of Education from the Ivy League Columbia University, NY, NY in 1971. She soon returned to the DeKalb, GA County School System, where she retired as an Educator with 22 years of service.  She always said of her MS Degree “It is better to have and not need, than need and not have.” As one of the 1st Computer Lab Facilitators in the early 1990’s she was ahead of her time.

George Alton Veal, A.A., B. A., VEAL SIX #6.  was a member of the Boddie High Class of 1961.  He obtained his B. S. from the College of Staten Island in New York in 1981. He was bestowed the New York State Employee Award of Achievement for 33 years of service upon his retirement from the Island Staten Development  Center where he was an Art Therapy Instructor   Collectively, The Historic VEAL SIX have over 170 years of service in Education, as well as, three generations of doctorates of education, two Ivy League Masters of Science in Education,  the oldest male VEAL sibling Henry Veal,  Jr. B.S., M.S., M.T. has two Masters Degrees; one received in Theology at the age of 75.  He is a minister and rents out dorm-style rooms in his Milledgeville home to GSCU students. Graduation Photo

The VEAL DOCTORATE FIVE
They are all children of, Sandersville's Deepstep District, Henry Veal, I (b. 1847) and Lucy Ann Hearst (1848 - circa 1900). 
They had 12 children, Lizella (1867); Emma (1868); Twins: Lymon (1870) / Mary (1870); Joseph (1873); Johnnie (1876); Manda (1878); Robert (1882); David (1884); Henry (1892), Annie (1895).

The VEAL DOCTORATE FIVE are descendants of  Henry sons - Joseph and Henry: Joseph's Descendants: Frank Veal, son; Hal A. Franklin, grandson of Joseph's daughter Rose Veal Franklin and  Joseph's daughter Luzella Veal Collier's granddaughter, Bettye Collier-Thomas (daughter of Luzella's son Joseph Thomas Collier).

VEAL DOCTORATE FIVE# 2 - Rev. Dr. Frank Richard Veal, University President

Dr. Hal Franklin, M.D. VEAL DOCTORATE #2, Ebony Magazine Photographer turned MD with honors, State University of New York (SUNY), May 11, 1975;  MS Biochemistry, Michigan State Univ.; BS, Biology, Allen University, 1960 Ebony Magazine article Oct. 1968

Dr. Bettye Collier-Thomas, Ph.D., VEAL DOCTORATE #3, Founder-Mary McCloud Bethune Museum, Professor, Temple Univ., CV – 23 pages. Bettye Collier-Thomas, Ph.D,-  Expert  Historian  a. Temple University Professor   Bettye Collier-Thomas African-American History, Archives Found and Director   Her 6th Book: Jesus, Jobs and Justice

Michael E. Veal, Ph.D, VEAL DOCTORATE # 4,  son of Henry Jr, is a Wesleyan College doctorial graduate and Ivey League Yale professor of Music and African American Studies. He started pre-school as a remedial reader. With tutoring from his aunt Annie Veal Brooks, Michael entered first grade on a seventh grade reading level. The family hopes his long-awaited 2009 half German newborn, Maya Veal-Denke, will lead the fourth generations of doctorates in the family.    His Book: FELA

Tonya Williams Saunders, Ed.D., VEAL DOCTORATE #5,  is Henry Veal, Jr.'s granddaughter and daughter of deceased Myra Jean Veal Fountain (1946-2006), of the  proud Boddie High Class of 1966.  Tonya was congratulated by Angela Hill with a 2009 ad in the Union Recorder when she received her Ed. D in 2009. As principal of Atlanta’s Sammye E. Coan Middle School, Dr. Saunders facilitated the first and only Mandarin Chinese and Confucius Institute to expose and prepare her students to compete academically and professionally in future at a young age. She has received numerous awards for her educational accomplishments and community service. Tonya is also a very proud and active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. 2 Masters Specialist Degree, Atlanta Principal of 1st Chinese Language Program. Doctorate of Education, Argosy University, 2010. Double Doctorate Candidate, 2012.

The VEAL TRIPLE DOUBLE MASTERS

Joseph Collier

Henry Veal III

Tresselyn Douglas Adams, Dr. Judon Adams, M.D. The Veals marry well too; there are two medical doctorate spouses; there are two medical doctorate spouses, Baldwin High Grad, Tresselyn Douglas Adams, MSN, MBA, R.N. and Ph.D. Candidate is the great granddaughter of Henry Veal, Sr.  Tress is currently a doctoral candidate in Physician Administration.  Doctorate Candidate of Physicians Administration, Double Masters.  Her husband, Dr. Judon Adams, M.D. is a practicing Gynecologist in Metro Atlanta.

VEAL DOUBLE MASTERS CANDIDATES

Nikki Douglas, BA, MBA (GCSU) and current Masters of Nursing Candidate is the granddaughter of eldest VEAL SIX, Katie and daughter of Rufus Douglas and Margaret Hill Douglas Franklin grew up in the house on Thomas Street. She and her son Manuel were the 7th and 8th generations of VEALS documented as born, raised and lived there  in Milledgeville for the entirely of their lives until the summer of 2010 when Nikki moved near her sister, Tresselyn in Metro Atlanta.

Kenyetta LaShombe Veal, M. S. daughter of the baby son of the VEAL SIX, Alton Veal,  earned her Master's Degree in Regents University in Chesapeake, VA in 2005. She makes several trips to Georgia to see family every year and recently  returned from an educational and service trip to Africa..

VEAL MASTERS

Thomas Morgan, M. A. Business Management, George Washington University

Angela Lattimore Aside, M.S. in Ed., granddaughter of Dorothy Veal and daughter of Dorothy’s son Walter Lattimore is an educator born and raised in Milledgeville who wrote the thought-provoking Too Big of Shoes while working on her  educators’ degree.

VEAL MASTERS CANDIDATES

Johnette Brooks - M.A. I.T. Candidate, Capella University

Makeba Williams, M.A. Candidate, Spelman College.

Anthony Gordon - M.A. -Divinity Candiate Theological seminary, Jacksonville, Fl.

VEAL UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
1. Frank Veal, University President – Paul Quinn College and Allen University & Pastor
                1962 SC Legislature Candidate, NAACP- Ohio State Membership Chair,
                1948 Boston University, MS Howard University, BS Allen University

VEAL DOCTORAL CANDIDATE
Tresselyn Adams, Doctorate Candidate of Physicians Administration, Double Masters

VEAL TRIPLE DOUBLES MASTERS
6. Joseph Thomas Collier, Sr., MS-Georgia College & State University (2X), BS, Florida A & M – Magnum Cum Laude, 1939.
7. Henry Veal, III, aka Jr., Double Masters: MS-Professional Studies; MS-Theology @ Age 75
8. Tresselyn Adams, MS, MSN, Double Masters  (duplicate)

VEAL DOUBLE MASTERS CANDIDATES
9. Nikki Douglas, MBA, MSN Double Masters Candidate
10. Kenyetta Veal, MS, MA Regents University,  Double Masters Candidate

Historic VEAL SIX SIBLING EDUCATORS
Cumulatively 170 years as sibling educators born from 1921 – 1943
· Katie Veal Hill, BS, 2011 Georgia Women of Achievement Nominee
11. Annie Veal Brooks, MS, Ivy League Columbia University
12. Mattye Veal Binion, MS, CUNY, Early Childhood Education
· Gladys Veal Bolden, BS, Audrey Johnson Classroom Naming & Dedication
13. Juanita Veal Madison, MS, Ivy League Columbia University
· George Alton Veal, BS.  New York State Superior Service Award for 33 years

SINGLE MASTERS DEGREES
· Thomas Morgan, MBA, Georgetown University
· Annie Veal Brooks, MS, Ivy League Columbia University (duplicate)
· Mattye Veal Binion, MS, Founder-Ft. Valley State Milledgevillian Alumni Chapter & Bench Founder
· Juanita Veal Madison, MS, Ivy League Columbia University, BS-Allen University (duplicate)
· Nikki Douglas, MSN Candidate, Double Masters Candidate (duplicate)
· Kenyetta Veal, MS, Regents University,  Double Masters Candidate (duplicate)

SINGLE MASTERS DEGREES CANDIDATES
· Johnette Brooks, MS Candidate; Cum Laude BS, IT-PM, Capella University, 2006
Hollar At Ya Ancestors
Association of Professional Genealogists/Johnette Brooks
· Makeba Williams, MS Candidate; Magna Cum Laude BS Spelman College Graduate, 2010
· Anthony Gordon,  MS Candidate, Theology

SPECIAL MENTIONS
· Kenneth Morgan, MS, Former GBI Agent and State College Chief of Police
· Earl Bolden, Cert. Double Fireman II & EMT, DeKalb & Fulton Counties, GA.
DeKalb County Departmental Commendation Award, October 23, 2011.

The Veal Entrenepuers

         Mary Veal Christian|  Rosa Veal Jones Andrews

Of course there are a plethora of Associates and Bachelor degrees, to numerous to mention throughout the branches, generations and decades. This historical legacy is unmatched to this day.  It is currently under review by the African American Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.  Johnette Brooks, hopes the Baldwin County School System will survey the community and propose renaming one of the county's schools in their honor.

Limited Citations: Obituaries-Joseph T. Collier, Hal Franklin and Kenneth Morgan. Oral Histories received from YvonneCris Veal, MD, Bettye Collier-Thomas, Ph.D.; Tracy Franklin, Alton Veal; Kim Aiken; Larry Morgan and Marilyn Gordon. Frank Veal Obituary, Dayton Times, 1969; Allen University, Paul Quinn College, Ft. Valley State University. Recipient Degree Images received from Alton Veal. Call Johnette Brooks, Professional Genealogist and Family Historian to request full citations and documentation of facts in this document at (678) 760 – 6540 or email [email protected]

Submitted by Johnette Brooks, a Milledgeville native, 3rd generation family historian, member of the National Association of Professional Genealogists, Guest Lecturer for the Atlanta History Central,  Central Georgia Genealogy Society Baldwin County African American Genealogist Specialists; AAHGS Metro Atlanta and Founder of HOLLA at ya ANCESTORS.org.