Allen Easter Ericson Weatherford

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Allen Easter Ericson Weatherford (1907–1965) was a professor of physical education and the first black man to earn a doctorate in the subject.

Allen Easter Ericson Weatherford was born on March 25, 1907, in Charlottesville, Virginia.{{cite web|url=http://www.beliefnet.com/politics/religiousaffiliation.html |title=Religious Affiliation by State -- Beliefnet.com |accessdate=May 30, 2013 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080421034031/http://www.beliefnet.com/politics/religiousaffiliation.html |archivedate=April 21, 2008 }} Although an African American in the deep south at a time when blacks could be sent to jail for going to school beyond the ninth grade,{{Cite web |url=http://library.thinkquest.org/10718/body.htm |title=Brown v. The Board of Education of Shawnee County of Topeka, Kansas |access-date=2013-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210061517/http://library.thinkquest.org/10718/body.htm |archive-date=2013-12-10 |url-status=dead }} his parents encouraged him to further his education. His uncle, Benjamin Tonsler, worked as a school principal,{{cite web|url=https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/w/e/a/Thomas-Weatherford/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0010.html|title=Thomas-Weatherford|website=Genealogy.com|accessdate=17 December 2018}} and was a driving force in helping Weatherford to take his education as far as he could. Weatherford left home to attend the Hampton institute in Hampton, Virginia,{{cite web|url=http://www.hamptonu.edu/|title=Hampton University|website=Hamptonu.edu|accessdate=17 December 2018}} where he earned his bachelor's degree. Weatherford then went on to obtain his master's degree, and finally obtained his PhD degree in physical education; the first black man to do so. Weatherford moved to North Carolina, where he married Rebecca Christmas in 1939. They had six children together. Weatherford continued to work as a professor at St. Augustine's University; he also worked as Chairman of the Department of Physical Education there.{{cite web|url=https://www.st-aug.edu/|title=Saint Augustine's University|website=St-aug.edu|accessdate=17 December 2018}}