DECATUR, Ill. – More than 85 years after graduating from Millikin University, Ellsworth Dansby Jr.’s legacy is about to reach a new generation in Decatur.
The Soy City native and World War II veteran's bravery and history of good works as an active community volunteer will live on for the future generations of students who walk through the doors of Decatur Public School’s (DPS) new Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School.
With the construction of the new school completed (located at 2160 W. Center Street in Decatur), the school will replace the current American Dreamer STEM Academy when new students begin arriving in August 2025.
During the DPS approval process of naming the new school, American Dreamer Principal Rida Ellis spoke about honoring those local community members who have made a difference.
“Kids know Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, but when it comes to people who have given back to our community, we don't know who they are,” Ellis said.
Now, more people will know Dansby’s story, which continues to resonate with the Decatur community.
Dansby was born in Decatur in 1914 and, as a child, was fascinated with the advancements of a quickly evolving new technology: airplanes. He studied books on flight, became an expert model airplane manufacturer, and flew his first solo flight at 12.
During his days at Millikin, Dansby spent much time at the Decatur Airport taking flying instruction and accumulated more than 100 hours in the air, making him eligible to join the U.S. Army Air Corps, which would eventually be renamed the U.S. Air Force. At the time, he was just the second black aviator to join the Air Corps.
During World War II, Dansby was sent to Tuskegee, Alabama, where he became one of the first African American pilots and master sergeants in the Air Corps, joining the all-Black unit that became known as the Tuskegee Airmen.
The Tuskegee program trained 1,000 pilots and more than 14,000 Air Corps personnel, including navigators, bombardiers, aircraft and engine mechanics, control tower operators, and maintenance staff.
A 1942 Decatur Herald & Review article noted that Dansby was a part of the Allied Forces' African campaign (and later the invasion of Sicily) as a member of the 99th Pursuit Squadron.
“Being out here with this gang and doing this work is something I’ve hoped for all of my life. This has got to be the best outfit in the world,” Dansby was quoted as saying.
Along with the school named in his honor, the Heart of Illinois Community Foundation announced at the 2024 Do Something Great Awards that the Outstanding Volunteer/Board Member Award will be renamed the Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Outstanding Service Award. The annual award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills, devoted significant time and effort to charitable causes, and shown a deep commitment to voluntary action to address community needs.
Following the end of World War II, Dansby returned to Decatur, married his wife Eunice, and raised two children, Deborah and Ellsworth III. Ellsworth III was on hand when they broke ground at Ellsworth Dansby Jr. Magnet School in 2023. He said his father was very involved in education in Decatur and would be honored with the school being named in his honor.
Dansby Jr. served on the Decatur Board of Education from 1968 to 1971, providing leadership and fighting racial discrimination during a tumultuous time centered on school busing. As a civil rights leader, he served as State Director of Project Equality of Illinois and Indiana and was State Chairman of the Illinois Commission on Religion and Race. Dansby also served as a Deacon and Elder at the First Presbyterian Church.
Dansby passed away in 1989, and later in his life, aviation continued to be a favorite pastime as he enjoyed restoring vintage aircraft in his free time. Appropriately, the mascot of Ellwsorth Dansby Jr. Magnet School will be "The Flyers."
About Black History Month
Black History Month originated in 1926 when historian Carter G. Woodson promoted what was known as "Negro History Week" in an effort to educate people about the accomplishments of African Americans. In 1976, the celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February, the birth month of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass. Black History Month is celebrated to remember important individuals and events in African American history.
