Pierce T. Ramsey
August 7, 1925 – June 15, 2019
Class: 45-F-TE
Graduation date: 9/8/1945
Rank at time of graduation: Flt. Officer
Service # T70430
From: Philadelphia PA
Known as “Ted,” Mr. Ramsey was born to William and Hazel Townsend Ramsey and grew up in West Philadelphia. He attended Overbrook High School and graduated from Temple University High School, and later received certificates in accounting and finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Following his schooling, Ramsey joined the U.S. Army Air Force. A highlight of his life was to be proficient in all written and verbal aptitude tests. This qualified him to train as a B-25 twin-engine light bomber at Moton Field on the grounds of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Although he completed the training with the rank of flight officer in 1945 and stood ready to serve, he never flew in combat.
Mr. Ramsey in military uniform in a 1945 photograph.He is in the middle. His brother, Jack, is at left, and brother, Bill, is at right.Courtesy of Ruth Scarborough Ramsey.
One of Ramsey’s last official duties as an airman was to fly his plane, the “E-Lois,” to Iowa, where it was taken apart and recycled, as was the custom of the time. He remembered saluting with tears in his eyes as his plane rolled down the tarmac for dismantlement.
Ramsey served as an early president of the Philadelphia Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen and helped to initiate fundraising projects. An especially proud moment in his life was the award of the Medal of Honor to the Tuskegee Airmen by President George W. Bush in the nation’s capital.
Ramsey’s career began as a trainee in the Roberts Real Estate Co., where he worked for several years before becoming a licensed real estate broker. He built and opened his own office in West Philadelphia, selling residential real estate for many years. In his early career he experienced a major accomplishment when he recorded and valued every piece of property that would eventually become Yorktown in North Philadelphia.
Ramsey served as president of the Realist Association of Philadelphia; a group formed because African Americans were excluded from membership in segregated real estate organizations. In addition to his practice, in later years Ramsey was associated with commercial real estate with Corporate Realty Partners.
Through the years, he joined several civic and social groups, including the Commissioners, a club co-founded by his father. That group of African-American men wanted to host social events when segregation precluded their access to public venues. He was also a founding member of the Del Val Golf Club and a member of the Men’s Social Club.
He married Ruth Scarborough Ramsey in 1985 and they enjoyed a social life at their homes in Philadelphia and the Jersey shore.
Ramsey continued to mentor young people who aspired to a profession in real estate, many of whom developed successful and rewarding careers. He also enjoyed speaking with young people about the exciting world of aviation.
Sources:
Inquirer
The Philly Trib
Photo courtesy U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
