CES > News and Events > Chapman CES Celebrates James L. Flournoy’s Life & Legacy
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| Monday April 20, 2009 | |
Chapman CES Celebrates James L. Flournoy’s Life & Legacy |
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 Chapman CES mourns the loss of James L. Flournoy, an indisputably great man. Mr. Flournoy was a prominent Los Angeles lawyer for decades and was a compassionate community leader, a political candidate and a great storyteller.Mr. Flournoy always had wonderful stories to tell—stories that seemed to perfectly capture his struggles, failures and triumphs. Indeed, his stories often described his life as a black lawyer in the 1950s, and his climb up from racial discrimination and extraordinarily meager beginnings in Como, Texas, during the early 1900s. He was the first African American nominated for California Secretary of State. Although his political life included other campaigns, he is best remembered for his contributions to his community. He was a founding member and board chairman of the Watts YMCA, and was active in numerous voter-education projects. A lifelong friend of Dr. Kimberly White-Smith of Chapman’s College of Educational Studies, Mr. Flournoy met with Dean Don Cardinal and spoke about his desire to help individuals from urban neighborhoods access the exceptional academic experience offered by Chapman University. To this end, he graciously provided the College of Educational Studies with a gift of $150,000. These funds will enable the university to provide students from underserved communities with graduate scholarships to attend the College of Educational Studies. His gift will be long appreciated, and his lifelong contributions will never be forgotten. |
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