"Dempsey Jerome Travis"(1920-2009)

Was a civil rights  activist,business leader,military veteran,and author.From the inception of his first realty company to his time serving three presidential administrations,Dempsey has served in both local and national theaters of private and civic life.Born in Chicago,Illinois,He attended Roosevelt University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949 and 1953,he founded Travis Realty Company,Travis Insurance Company,and Sivart Mortgage Company all in Chicago.He also created Urban Research Press in 1969 which published books on African American History and politics including Chicago Sun Times: An Autobiography of Black Chicago,and Autobiography of Black Jazz,and Autobiography of Black Politics.In addition to his entrepreneurial agenda,Dempsey actively participated in the Civil Rights Moment.He was president of the Chicago chapter of the NAACP from1959 to 1960.During the latter year he coordinated Martin Luther King Jr first civil rights march in Chicago.Beginning in 1966 Dempsey was summoned by president Lyndon Johnson to the White House for various civil rights meetings and forums.During the Richard Nixon admministration he was a member of the Housing Task Force and he served on the Task Force on Urban Renewal for President Gerald Ford.