Rudolph James Redd, Sr.

Rudolph James Redd, Sr., son of Hampton James Redd and Leona Thomas, was born in Charlottesville, Virginia on March 25, 1924. After losing his mother in the first years of life, he was moved to Baltimore, Maryland where his mother’s friend Irene Scott and Irene’s mother “Ma Scott” raised him as if he were their own. He remained in the Baltimore area until he departed this life suddenly at his home on April 27, 2012. After graduating from Frederick Douglass High School in 192, Rudy enrolled in Morgan State University, but interrupted his studies to serve in the United States Army. As a result of his honorable service, he was nominated for membership in the American Legion. From the Army, he returned to Morgan State University, where he earned a B.S. in Chemistry in 1948. At Morgan, he played football, ran track, and became a “Kappa Man.” His loyalty to Kappa Alpha Psi lasted a lifetime. Indeed, he was wearing his Kappa watch and ring when he passed. In spite of the racial discrimination in 1948, Rudy secured a civilian position with the Department of the Army at the Edgewood Arsenal at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. However, he continued his studies in chemistry and engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Maryland, and Johns Hopkins. His graduate studies and his hard work propelled him from a GS-5 to a GS-12 chemical engineer, who developed and tested protective masks and clothing for United Stated soldiers. By the time he retired in 1983, he had become the first African American GM (GS)15 in the United States Research, Development and Engineering Command, where he supervised nearly 150 personnel in the Physical Protective Division. During this period, he also served as the Technical Project Officer for the United States/ Germany Data Exchange Program. In 1972, the United States Army gave him it’s highest award for promoting equal opportunity. In recognition of his achievements, Morgan State University’s Department of Chemistry also awarded him its Heculson-Spaulding Plaque in 1993, citing his “careful, meticulous, unrelenting, and no-nonsense approach” to his duties. Before he retired from the Army, Rudy founded his own business, Redd’s Sounds Unlimited, Inc. An entrepreneur at heart, he managed the business for over fifty years. With his son, Rudy Redd, Jr., working at his side, he installed stereo, P.A., and alarm systems in businesses, churches, and residences throughout the Baltimore metro area. As a small business man, he went to great lengths to train young, black men to install equipment, giving many their “first start” or a “second Chance.” He also donated his time and technical skills as a member of Towson United Methodist Church, where he helped manage the P.A. system for many years. However, Rudy still found time to devote to other forms of community service, especially advocacy for the mentally ill. After serving on the Baltimore County Charter Revision Committee from 1977 to 1978, he was appointed by the Governor to Springfield Hospital Center’s Civilian Advisory Board in 1996. From 2004 -2006, he was First Vice-President of the National Alliance of Mental Illness, and in 2005 he joined the Leadership Council of the North Baltimore Center. A hard-working man, Rudy did not find time to pursue his hobbies, but when he could, he relished every minute. A licensed amateur radio operator, he loved talking to people around the world via “ham radio,” building and flying radio-controlled airplanes, watching football, and listening to jazz. Some of the highlights of his life where going to the Greater Baltimore Hamboree and Computer Fest with his son and attending jazz concerts with his daughter. Rudy leaves his son, Rudolph Redd, Jr. and his daughter, Teresa Redd, from his marriage to Mary Camper Redd; his grandsons, Tavon Redd and Tank Donaldson; and a host of friends who will forever cherish his memory.

Tributes

Rudolph James Redd, Sr.

March 25, 1924 - April 27, 2012