The
grandparents who reared Thomas A. Fleming had little formal education, but they
tried to instill in him the importance of education and the belief that Biblical
teachings were the guide post for life. In 1949, when Thomas was 16, he shattered
their hopes by dropping out of the Detroit Public Schools and "hanging out"
with the "wrong people."
In 1950, Fleming lied about
his age and enlisted in a National Guard unit that was eventually shipped to
Germany. His 66 months in the U.S. Army proved to be his salvation because he
learned to read by studying the "Bible."
Honorably discharged from
the army in 1955, his desire for an education motivated him to secure a High
School Equivalency Diploma os well as a bachelor's degree from William Tyndale
College and a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University.
Fleming taught at Washtenaw
County Juvenile Detention School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Citing his own experiences,
he inspired students to achieve and became a legendary teacher for troubled
youth.
In 1992, Fleming was named
National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers in
partnership with Encyclopedia Britannica. He became the first Michigan teacher
and the fourth black American selected for this honor.
Since September 1993, Fleming
has served os special assistant to the Provost of Academic Affairs at Eastern
Michigan University. He is also a member of a Presidential Commission facilitating
business and community mentoring opportunities for young people.
The seeds that his grandparents
planted within him, he, in turn, is planting within others.
