NOTE: I am thankful to Earleen Smith-Brown, Angelo Howard's step-daughter, for her assistance in compiling information on Mr. Howard and utilizing excerpts from her work "My Family Jewels" for this piece.

Trailblazer [treyl-bley-zer] – noun

1. a person who blazes a trail for others to follow through unsettled country or wilderness; pathfinder.
2. a pioneer in any field of endeavor. 

Angelo Howard truly embodied the term "trailblazer".  The first African-American student-athlete at the University of Evansville when he enrolled in the university in 1946, Howard paved the way for many African-American and minority student-athletes. Howard's contributions to the community occurred before he stepped foot at UE and continued well after graduation.

The son of Bradley and Sudie Howard, Angelo James Howard was born on June 25, 1924 as the youngest of six children. Howard attended Lincoln School in Evansville, a school for only African-American students. The school was the only school for the black minority community in the area, so Howard was joined by students from Mt. Vernon, Rockport, and Newburgh.
 
At Lincoln, Howard thrived both athletically and academically. Howard was a member of the mock trial team and the track team at the school. His ability in athletics was apparent in a track meet featuring only African-American schools held in St. Louis. In a field featuring 31 schools and 250 athletes, Howard won the high jump competition, helping Lincoln score nine points at the meet.
 
During his high school years, Howard also boxed as a bantamweight locally, including a fight on February 6, 1941 at the Evansville Coliseum.
 
Howard's graduation came at a difficult time in the world in 1942, as the United States was in the midst of World War II. After graduation, Howard took a job at the Evansville Airport, followed by working as a machine shop apprentice at American Bridge Work steel mills in Gary, Ind.
 
The beginning of the United States' involvement in World War II, along with Howard turning 18 years old, signaled a change for Howard who served his country, enlisting in the United States Navy in 1943. During his time of service, Howard received training at Great Lake, Illinois and was stationed in the Aleutian Islands and Naval Operation Base in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. While in the Navy, Howard served as a radio operator before being honorably discharged in 1945.
 
Following his service to his country, Howard enrolled at Evansville College in 1946 and when he joined the Aces' track and field team under the direction of head coach Arad McCutchan, Howard became the first African-American student-athlete in the school's history.
 
At Evansville, Howard's hiatus from athletic competition had little effect on his performance early in his career with the Aces. In his first season with the Aces' track team, Howard scored the college's lone point in at the season-ending Little State meet, finishing in a tie for fifth in the high jump. 
 

The true potential of Howard became clear in his second season. In his first meet of 1948, Howard won the high jump with a height of five feet, 10 inches, helping the Aces earn 19 points in the meet at Ball State. 
 
Against Western Kentucky on May 8 at Enlow Field, Howard added to his win total on the season, winning the broad jump and tying for first in the high jump as the Aces captured a 91.5-41.5 win over the Hilltoppers.
 
Closing-out his second season, Howard again captured the Big State championship in the high jump, finishing in a tie for first.
 
 
Howard's impact at the college went well beyond his athletic accomplishments. At UE, Howard was a member of the Homecoming Committee, the Athletic Committee, and outside of UE, Howard served as president of the Young Men's Athletic Club at Carver Community Center in Evansville.
Back in competition as a junior in 1949, Howard was hampered by an ankle injury early in the season, earning a third-place finish in the high jump at Indiana State on May 1.
 
As an African-American in America in the 1940s, Howard had long understood the challenges he was dealt. Howard and his fellow African-American teammate Harlon Brooks were left back in Evansville on one occasion and were unable to compete.
 
Heading into the season-ending Ohio Valley Conference championships, Howard swept both the broad jump and high jump against Indiana State and Hanover, setting him up well for the championships.
 
 
Howard's form entering the championships proved to foretell his performance. Howard became the first conference track and field champion at the University of Evansville, setting the conference record for the broad jump. Evansville scored 32 points in all and finished third at the championships behind Louisville and Marshall.

In 1950, Howard earned his bachelor's degree in secondary education and physical education.
 
A few years after graduation, Howard moved from Evansville to New York City, where he worked as a door man in the early 1960s. Howard's years of service continued with his move to The Big Apple, where he worked as a case manager for the City of New York Department of Shelter and Homeless Services until 1986.
 
Soon after his retirement, Howard married his longtime partner, Catherine Johnson, who Howard had met during the 1970s. After marrying Johnson, the two moved to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and spent much of their later years there.
 
After moving back to New York City in 2010, Howard passed away on April 24, 2013 after nearly 89 years of paving the way for others.
 
Howard's legacy lives on, in the history of Evansville high school athletics, the history of the University of Evansville, and the history of this nation as a whole. Howard made a path for the hundreds and thousands of African-American and minority students and student-athletes who have followed in his footsteps at the University of Evansville. 
 
Even after his personal mark was left at UE, Howard continued to pave the way for others, showing a servant heart in helping the homeless and underserved populations of New York City.
 
Howard stands as a symbol at the University of Evansville of change. As an Ashoka Changemaker campus, Evansville students are encouraged to follow in the footsteps of a man who covered the same ground that many students do today and build a global movement where anyone, anywhere, can take action to solve social problems in in their community.
 

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