Julius W. Becton Jr., a Bryn Mawr native and a three-star general who once led the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Washington, D.C., school system, died on Tuesday, November 28. He was 97.

From The New York Times‘ obituary:

General Becton’s uniformed career spanned nearly 40 years, beginning in the era of segregated troops in World War II and including the ascent of Colin Powell, the first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Powell, who died in 2021, called General Becton a mentor without whose help and example he would “never have risen.

General Becton saw combat in three wars, earning Silver Stars in Korea and Vietnam. He was the first African American to oversee what was then the Army’s largest basic training program, at Fort Dix, N.J., and in 1978, following his promotion to lieutenant general, he led the VII Corps, based in Stuttgart, West Germany, during the Cold War.

General Becton was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to head FEMA and accepted an offer to lead Washington’s school system at age 70. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps reserves when he was 17.

He was also president of Prairie View A&M University from 1989 to 1994, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. For more on his life, you can watch the video below:

For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.

Photos: US Army, Getty, American Veterans Center