Mitchell Higginbotham: Difference between revisions

Mitchell Higginbotham
Mitchell Higginbotham
	Mitchell Higginbotham
Born	March 2, 1921; Amherst, Virginia
Died	February 14, 2016 (aged 94); Rancho Mirage, California
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of ColoradoMS in Labor Relations
Occupation	U.S. Army Air Force
Years active	1942-1946 (active), 1946-1962 (reserve)
Known for	Tuskegee Airmen
Relatives	Robert Higginbotham (brother)
Awards	Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen

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Mitchell Higginbotham (March 2, 1921 – February 14, 2016) was a U.S. Army Air Force officer who was a member of the African American World War II fighter group known as the Tuskegee Airmen.^[2]^[1]

Biography

Early life

Higginbotham was born on March 2, 1921 ^[2] in Amherst, Virginia, to Plinkam L Higginbotham and Hester Higginbotham.^[3] He has a younger brother, Robert, who also became a member of the U.S. military.^[4]

Military career

Higginbotham joined the U.S. military in the summer 1942.^[2] He subsequently was accepted into the Tuskegee Army Airfield Class TE-44-K from which he graduated on February 1, 1945, with a commission as a Second Lieutenant.^[2] Higginbotham became one of the original members of the Tuskegee Airmen when he was assigned to the 477th Bombardment Group.^[2] He served on active duty through the end of World War II; in 1946, he left active duty but continued as a member of the U.S. Army Air Force Reserves.^[2] He initially flew fighter aircraft but eventually moved up to flying B-52s.^[4]

Higginbotham's younger brother Robert also joined the military during World War II two years after his older brother; however, Robert Higginbotham became a pilot for the Navy Air Corps.^[4]

Higginbotham was one of 100 black servicemen who were arrested for attempting to enter an officers club reserved for white officers.^[4] This event became known as the Freeman Field Mutiny;^[4] it is widely seen as a key moment in the path towards full integration of the U.S. Armed Services.^[5]

Civilian career

Following his years of active duty, Higginbotham went to work for the Los Angeles Airport Advisory Committee, working as a registrar at the Pittsburg Airport.^[2] He also served as a probation officer for nearly thirty years.^[2]

Awards

Higginbotham and his brother Robert both attended the ceremony in 2007 where the Congressional Gold Medal was collectively presented to the Tuskegee Airmen for their contributions during World War II.^[4] He also received "Man of the Year" Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc in 1996.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b "Tuskegee Airman of Rancho Mirage dies at 94". The Desert Sun. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "Guide to the Mitchell Higginbotham Papers". Regents of the University of California. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
^ 1930 Federal Census
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Tuskegee Airman from Sewickley reflects on obstacles". Trib Total Media, Inc. Retrieved 27 November 2013.
^ Francis, Charles E. (1997). Adolph Caso (ed.). The Tuskegee airmen : the men who changed a nation (4th ed.). Boston: Branden. pp. 231–255. ISBN 9780828320290.

External links

[Desert-1] "Tuskegee Airman of Rancho Mirage dies at 94". The Desert Sun. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.

[mh_papers-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "Guide to the Mitchell Higginbotham Papers". Regents of the University of California. Retrieved 27 November 2013.

[3] 1930 Federal Census

[trib-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Tuskegee Airman from Sewickley reflects on obstacles". Trib Total Media, Inc. Retrieved 27 November 2013.

[francis_tuskegee-5] Francis, Charles E. (1997). Adolph Caso (ed.). The Tuskegee airmen : the men who changed a nation (4th ed.). Boston: Branden. pp. 231–255. ISBN 9780828320290.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Tuskegee Airman (1921–2016)}}
-  <!-- The Infobox_Biography entries are examples only-->
+<!-- The Infobox_Biography entries are examples only-->
 {{Infobox person
 | name   = Mitchell Higginbotham
-| image     =
+| image     = File:Mitchell Higginbotham.jpeg
-| image_size     =
+| image_size     = 150px
-| caption  =
+| caption  = Mitchell Higginbotham
-| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1921|03|02}}
+| birth_date  = March 2, 1921
 | birth_place = [[Amherst, Virginia]]
-| death_date  =
+| death_date  = February 14, 2016 (aged 94)
-| death_place =
+| death_place = [[Rancho Mirage, California]]
-| nationality = [[United States of America]]
+| nationality = American
-| ethnicity = [[African American]]
 | occupation     = U.S. Army Air Force
 | years_active   = 1942-1946 (active), 1946-1962 (reserve)
 | known_for      = [[Tuskegee Airmen]]
+| alma_mater= [[University of Colorado]]MS in Labor Relations<ref name="Desert"/>
 | spouse         =
 | parents        =
 | children       =
 | relatives      = Robert Higginbotham (brother)
-| awards         = [[Congressional Gold Medal]]
+| awards         = [[Congressional Gold Medal]] awarded to the Tuskegee Airmen
 }}
-'''Mitchell Higginbotham''' (born March 2, 1921) is a retired U.S. Army Air Force officer who was a member of the famed [[African American]] World War II fighter group known as the [[Tuskegee Airmen]].<ref name=mh_papers>{{cite web|title=Guide to the Mitchell Higginbotham Papers|url=http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt329024rm|publisher=Regents of the University of California|accessdate=27 November 2013}}</ref>
+'''Mitchell Higginbotham''' (March 2, 1921 &ndash; February 14, 2016) was a U.S. Army Air Force officer who was a member of the [[African American]] World War II fighter group known as the [[Tuskegee Airmen]].<ref name=mh_papers>{{cite web|title=Guide to the Mitchell Higginbotham Papers|url=http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt329024rm|publisher=Regents of the University of California|accessdate=27 November 2013}}</ref><ref name="Desert">{{cite web | url=http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2016/02/16/tuskegee-airman-mitchell-higginbotham-rancho-mirage/80462204/ | title=Tuskegee Airman of Rancho Mirage dies at 94 | publisher=[[The Desert Sun]] | date=16 February 2016 | accessdate=18 February 2016}}</ref>
 ==Biography==
-===Early life===
-Higginbotham was born in [[Amherst, Virginia]] on March 2, 1921.<ref name=mh_papers />  He has a younger brother, Robert, who also became a member of the U.S. military..<ref name=trib>{{cite web|title=Tuskegee Airman from Sewickley reflects on obstacles|url=http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yoursewickley/yoursewickleymore/4642113-74/tuskegee-higginbotham-sewickley#axzz2lrin1Ad4|publisher=Trib Total Media, Inc.|accessdate=27 November 2013}}</ref>
+===Early life===
+Higginbotham was born on March 2, 1921 <ref name=mh_papers /> in [[Amherst, Virginia]], to Plinkam L Higginbotham and Hester Higginbotham.<ref>1930 Federal Census</ref> He has a younger brother, Robert, who also became a member of the U.S. military.<ref name=trib>{{cite web|title=Tuskegee Airman from Sewickley reflects on obstacles|url=http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yoursewickley/yoursewickleymore/4642113-74/tuskegee-higginbotham-sewickley#axzz2lrin1Ad4|publisher=Trib Total Media, Inc.|accessdate=27 November 2013}}</ref>
 ===Military career===
-Higginbotham joined the U.S. military in the summer 1942.<ref name=mh_papers />  He subsequently was acccepted into the [[Tuskegee Army Airfield]] Class TE-44-K from which he graduated on February 1, 1945 with a commission as a Second Lieutenant.<ref name=mh_papers />  Higginbotham became one of the original members of the Tuskegee Airmen when he was assigned to the [[477th Fighter Group#History|477th Bombardment Group]].<ref name=mh_papers /> He served on active duty through the end of World War II; in 1946, he left active duty but continued as a member of the U.S. Army Air Force Reserves.<ref name=mh_papers /> He initially flew fighter aircraft but eventually moved up to flying B-52s.<ref name=trib />
+Higginbotham joined the U.S. military in the summer 1942.<ref name=mh_papers />  He subsequently was accepted into the [[Tuskegee Army Airfield]] Class TE-44-K from which he graduated on February 1, 1945, with a commission as a Second Lieutenant.<ref name=mh_papers />  Higginbotham became one of the original members of the Tuskegee Airmen when he was assigned to the [[477th Fighter Group#History|477th Bombardment Group]].<ref name=mh_papers /> He served on active duty through the end of World War II; in 1946, he left active duty but continued as a member of the U.S. Army Air Force Reserves.<ref name=mh_papers /> He initially flew fighter aircraft but eventually moved up to flying B-52s.<ref name=trib />
 Higginbotham's younger brother [[Robert Higginbotham (Tuskegee Airman)|Robert]] also joined the military during World War II two years after his older brother; however, Robert Higginbotham became a pilot for the Navy Air Corps.<ref name=trib />
 [[File:Freeman Field Mutiny.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Arrested African-American officers of the 477th Bombardment Group at Freeman Field, Indiana, await transport to Godman Field, Kentucky, April 1945.]]
-Higginbotham was one of 100 black servicemen who were arrested for attempting to enter an officers club reserved for white officers.<ref name=trib />  This event became known as the [[Freeman Field Mutiny]].<ref name=trib />
+Higginbotham was one of 100 black servicemen who were arrested for attempting to enter an officers club reserved for white officers.<ref name=trib />  This event became known as the [[Freeman Field Mutiny]];<ref name=trib /> it is widely seen as a key moment in the path towards full integration of the U.S. Armed Services.<ref name=francis_tuskegee>{{cite book|last=Francis|first=Charles E.|title=The Tuskegee airmen : the men who changed a nation|year=1997|publisher=Branden|location=Boston|pages=[https://archive.org/details/tuskegeeairmenme00char/page/231 231–255]|isbn=9780828320290|edition=4th|editor=Adolph Caso|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/tuskegeeairmenme00char/page/231}}</ref>
 ===Civilian career===
@@ Line 40: / Line 41: @@
 ==Awards==
-Higginbotham and his brother Robert both received the [[Congressional Gold Medal]] in 2007.<ref name=trib />  He also received "Man of the Year" Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of the [[Tuskegee Airmen, Inc]] in 1996.<ref name=mh_papers />
+Higginbotham and his brother Robert both attended the ceremony in 2007 where the [[Congressional Gold Medal]] was collectively presented to the Tuskegee Airmen for their contributions during World War II.<ref name=trib /> He also received "Man of the Year" Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc in 1996.<ref name=mh_papers />
 ==See also==
@@ Line 47: / Line 48: @@
 *[[Tuskegee Airmen]]
-==Futher reading==
+==Further reading==
 ===Articles===
-* {{cite news|last=Thomas-Lester|first=Avis|title=Tuskegee Airmen’s ranks may be smaller, but these veterans are still flying high|url=http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-08-04/local/35270564_1_tuskegee-airmen-bomber-pilot-world-war-ii|accessdate=27 November 2013|newspaper=Washington Post|date=August 04, 2011}}
+* {{cite news|last=Thomas-Lester|first=Avis|title=Tuskegee Airmen's ranks may be smaller, but these veterans are still flying high|url=https://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-08-04/local/35270564_1_tuskegee-airmen-bomber-pilot-world-war-ii|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203003602/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-08-04/local/35270564_1_tuskegee-airmen-bomber-pilot-world-war-ii|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 3, 2013|accessdate=27 November 2013|newspaper=Washington Post|date=August 4, 2011}}
 ===Archival resources===
@@ Line 59: / Line 61: @@
 ==External links==
 * [http://www.lactai.org/ Los Angeles Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.]
+* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131204121846/http://www.tuskegee.edu/about_us/legacy_of_fame/tuskegee_airmen.aspx Tuskegee Airmen] at [[Tuskegee University]]
+* [http://library.ucr.edu/?view=tuskegee/index.html Tuskegee Airmen Archives] at the [[University of California, Riverside]] Libraries.
 * [http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yoursewickley/yoursewickleymore/4642113-74/tuskegee-higginbotham-sewickley#axzz2lrin1Ad4 Tuskegee Airman from Sewickley reflects on obstacles]
+* [http://tuskegeeairmen.org/ Tuskegee Airmen, Inc.]
+* [http://www.nps.gov/tuai/index.htm Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site] ([[U.S. National Park Service]])
+* [http://www.tuskegeeairmennationalmuseum.org/ Tuskegee Airmen National Museum]
 {{Tuskegee Airmen |state=autocollapse}}
-{{Persondata
-|NAME=Higginbotham, Mitchell
-|ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
-|SHORT DESCRIPTION= member of the Tuskegee Airmen
-|DATE OF BIRTH= March 2, 1921
-|PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Amherst, Virginia]]
-|DATE OF DEATH=
-|PLACE OF DEATH=
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Higginbotham, Mitchell}}
-[[Category:Tuskegee Airmen]]
-[[Category:African-American military personnel]]
 [[Category:1921 births]]
-[[Category:Living people]]
+[[Category:2016 deaths]]
 [[Category:People from Amherst, Virginia]]
+[[Category:Tuskegee Airmen]]
+[[Category:African-American aviators]]
+[[Category:21st-century African-American people]]
+[[Category:20th-century African-American military personnel]]