29th Secretary of State of the State of Wisconsin (January 3, 1979 - January 3, 1983)
Phillips, Velvalea "Vel" H. (nee Rodgers) Found Eternal Peace on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at the age of 95. Beloved wife for 38 years of the late W. Dale Phillips. Loving mother of Michael Damon Phillips and of the late Dale Franklin Phillips. Proud grandmother of Elijah Thomas Phillips, Nathaniel Douglas Phillips, Rachael Velvalea Phillips and Robin Dale Phillips; great-grandmother of Tianna, Mya, and Phoenix. Dear aunt of Shaune Maria Curry. Further survived by other relatives and many wonderful friends. Vel dedicated her life to building and empowering the African American Community. Her drive, devotion and never ending commitment to equality were unsurpassed. Active in the women's movement and the civil rights movement, Vel Phillips built a career of Wisconsin "firsts" both as a woman and as an African American. In 1951, Vel graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School, the first African-American woman to earn a law degree from the University of Wisconsin. After 15 years of serving on the Milwaukee Common Council-both the first woman and African American to do so-Vel resigned in 1971 and was appointed to the Milwaukee County judiciary; thus, becoming the first woman judge in Milwaukee and the first African-American judge in Wisconsin. In 1978, Vel made national history as the first woman and first African American elected as the Secretary of State in Wisconsin. She was the first African American in the country elected to the National Committee of a major political party, and knew three presidents on a first-name basis: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter. Vel was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she will be deeply missed by her family and all who had the privilege of knowing her. Family will greet friends on Friday, May 4, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at the Feerick Funeral Home. A service honoring Vel's life will be held on Saturday, May 5th, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at St. Mark AME Church, 1616 West Atkinson Avenue, Milwaukee. Memorials in Vel's name may be made to the Milwaukee Community Brainstorming Conference, 2944 N. 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53206 or the United Negro College Fund, (UNCF) 1805 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 or Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, 1584 N. Prospect Avenue, Milwaukee, 53202.
Published in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Apr. 22, 2018
Phillips, Velvalea "Vel" H. (nee Rodgers) Found Eternal Peace on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at the age of 95. Beloved wife for 38 years of the late W. Dale Phillips. Loving mother of Michael Damon Phillips and of the late Dale Franklin Phillips. Proud grandmother of Elijah Thomas Phillips, Nathaniel Douglas Phillips, Rachael Velvalea Phillips and Robin Dale Phillips; great-grandmother of Tianna, Mya, and Phoenix. Dear aunt of Shaune Maria Curry. Further survived by other relatives and many wonderful friends. Vel dedicated her life to building and empowering the African American Community. Her drive, devotion and never ending commitment to equality were unsurpassed. Active in the women's movement and the civil rights movement, Vel Phillips built a career of Wisconsin "firsts" both as a woman and as an African American. In 1951, Vel graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School, the first African-American woman to earn a law degree from the University of Wisconsin. After 15 years of serving on the Milwaukee Common Council-both the first woman and African American to do so-Vel resigned in 1971 and was appointed to the Milwaukee County judiciary; thus, becoming the first woman judge in Milwaukee and the first African-American judge in Wisconsin. In 1978, Vel made national history as the first woman and first African American elected as the Secretary of State in Wisconsin. She was the first African American in the country elected to the National Committee of a major political party, and knew three presidents on a first-name basis: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter. Vel was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she will be deeply missed by her family and all who had the privilege of knowing her. Family will greet friends on Friday, May 4, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at the Feerick Funeral Home. A service honoring Vel's life will be held on Saturday, May 5th, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at St. Mark AME Church, 1616 West Atkinson Avenue, Milwaukee. Memorials in Vel's name may be made to the Milwaukee Community Brainstorming Conference, 2944 N. 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53206 or the United Negro College Fund, (UNCF) 1805 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 or Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, 1584 N. Prospect Avenue, Milwaukee, 53202.
Published in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Apr. 22, 2018
29th Secretary of State of the State of Wisconsin (January 3, 1979 - January 3, 1983)
Phillips, Velvalea "Vel" H. (nee Rodgers) Found Eternal Peace on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at the age of 95. Beloved wife for 38 years of the late W. Dale Phillips. Loving mother of Michael Damon Phillips and of the late Dale Franklin Phillips. Proud grandmother of Elijah Thomas Phillips, Nathaniel Douglas Phillips, Rachael Velvalea Phillips and Robin Dale Phillips; great-grandmother of Tianna, Mya, and Phoenix. Dear aunt of Shaune Maria Curry. Further survived by other relatives and many wonderful friends. Vel dedicated her life to building and empowering the African American Community. Her drive, devotion and never ending commitment to equality were unsurpassed. Active in the women's movement and the civil rights movement, Vel Phillips built a career of Wisconsin "firsts" both as a woman and as an African American. In 1951, Vel graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School, the first African-American woman to earn a law degree from the University of Wisconsin. After 15 years of serving on the Milwaukee Common Council-both the first woman and African American to do so-Vel resigned in 1971 and was appointed to the Milwaukee County judiciary; thus, becoming the first woman judge in Milwaukee and the first African-American judge in Wisconsin. In 1978, Vel made national history as the first woman and first African American elected as the Secretary of State in Wisconsin. She was the first African American in the country elected to the National Committee of a major political party, and knew three presidents on a first-name basis: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter. Vel was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she will be deeply missed by her family and all who had the privilege of knowing her. Family will greet friends on Friday, May 4, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at the Feerick Funeral Home. A service honoring Vel's life will be held on Saturday, May 5th, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at St. Mark AME Church, 1616 West Atkinson Avenue, Milwaukee. Memorials in Vel's name may be made to the Milwaukee Community Brainstorming Conference, 2944 N. 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53206 or the United Negro College Fund, (UNCF) 1805 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 or Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, 1584 N. Prospect Avenue, Milwaukee, 53202.
Published in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Apr. 22, 2018
Phillips, Velvalea "Vel" H. (nee Rodgers) Found Eternal Peace on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at the age of 95. Beloved wife for 38 years of the late W. Dale Phillips. Loving mother of Michael Damon Phillips and of the late Dale Franklin Phillips. Proud grandmother of Elijah Thomas Phillips, Nathaniel Douglas Phillips, Rachael Velvalea Phillips and Robin Dale Phillips; great-grandmother of Tianna, Mya, and Phoenix. Dear aunt of Shaune Maria Curry. Further survived by other relatives and many wonderful friends. Vel dedicated her life to building and empowering the African American Community. Her drive, devotion and never ending commitment to equality were unsurpassed. Active in the women's movement and the civil rights movement, Vel Phillips built a career of Wisconsin "firsts" both as a woman and as an African American. In 1951, Vel graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School, the first African-American woman to earn a law degree from the University of Wisconsin. After 15 years of serving on the Milwaukee Common Council-both the first woman and African American to do so-Vel resigned in 1971 and was appointed to the Milwaukee County judiciary; thus, becoming the first woman judge in Milwaukee and the first African-American judge in Wisconsin. In 1978, Vel made national history as the first woman and first African American elected as the Secretary of State in Wisconsin. She was the first African American in the country elected to the National Committee of a major political party, and knew three presidents on a first-name basis: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter. Vel was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she will be deeply missed by her family and all who had the privilege of knowing her. Family will greet friends on Friday, May 4, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at the Feerick Funeral Home. A service honoring Vel's life will be held on Saturday, May 5th, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at St. Mark AME Church, 1616 West Atkinson Avenue, Milwaukee. Memorials in Vel's name may be made to the Milwaukee Community Brainstorming Conference, 2944 N. 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53206 or the United Negro College Fund, (UNCF) 1805 7th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 or Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, 1584 N. Prospect Avenue, Milwaukee, 53202.
Published in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Apr. 22, 2018
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