Edgar V. Cunningham, Sr. (1910-12-11 – 1980-02-27) was an early youth member of the Boy Scouts of America who is believed to be the first African American Eagle Scout. Cunningham was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was a member of Troop 12 in Waterloo, Iowa in what was then Wapsipinicon Area Council.^[1] Troop 12 was a "colored troop" formed in 1925 during the period when Scout units were segregated and, with Troop 9, was one of the two colored troops in Waterloo. Cunningham was the first Scout in either of the Waterloo colored troops to earn Eagle Scout on June 8, 1926.^[2] He received a hand-written letter from President Calvin Coolidge acknowledging him as the first black Eagle Scout and Scoutmaster James Lincoln Page received a presidential citation. 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is an American Scouting organization, with some presence in other countries. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... An Eagle Scout is a Scout with the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). ... Nickname: The Crescent City, The Big Easy, The City That Care Forgot, NOLA (acronym for New Orleans, LA) Location in the State of Louisiana and the United States Coordinates: Country United States State Louisiana Parish Orleans Founded 1718 Mayor Ray Nagin (D) Area    - City 350. ... Waterloo is the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. ...

Cunningham married Susie Ann Rockett on 1931-09-14 in Galena, Illinois. They had five children, eighteen grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren. 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... September 14 is the 257th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (258th in leap years). ... Downtown Galena Galena is a city located in Jo Daviess County, Illinois. ...

After Cunningham died in 1980, the Winnebago Council (the successor to the Wapsipinicon Area Council) made inquiries to the National Council of the BSA to determine if he was indeed the first black Eagle Scout. Since Cunningham had earned Eagle Scout fourteen years after the first Eagle Scout was awarded and National did not track ethnicity, there has been no way to validate the claim.

See also

Scouting Portal

Image File history File links Scoutsgreengoldnoscroll. ...

References

1. ^ Eagle Scouts. West Texas Scouting History. Retrieved on 29 Sep 2006.
2. ^ Family tries to verify first black Eagle Scout. Des Moines Register. Des Moines Register (2003). Retrieved on 29 Sep 2006.