Long Time Grand Terrace, CA Resident Barbara A. Hammond- Harvey- McClellan Receives a Lifetime Achievement Award from Her Alma Mater, Southeastern Lousiana University, for being amongst The First academic pioneers of African-Americans to integrate into the University in 1962.
Honoring 80 Years of Excellence for Barbara A. Hammond-Harvey-McClellan Sagittarian Septuagenarian turns Octogenarian
The family of long-time Grand Terrace, CA resident Mrs. Barbara A. Hammond-Harvey-McClellan, loving wife of Everett (Rusty) McClellan, invites you to join them on Thursday, December 19th at 1:45 P.M. PST, for an intimate Formal Virtual Zoom Celebration Honoring 80 remarkable years of life for Mrs. McClellan, as she receives a Lifetime Achievement Award as an Alumni of her college University. Both President Dr. William S. Wainwright along with Dr. Eric Summers, Vice President of Southeastern Louisiana University, and Barbara A. Hammond-Harvey-McClellan's former alma mater, will present her with a virtual Lifetime Achievement Honor of Excellence Award. This recognition is particularly special because Barbara was one of the first African American students to integrate into Southeastern Louisiana University back in 1962 when she was just 18 years old.
Mrs. Barbara A. McClellan's family looks forward to your virtual attendance. In keeping with her previous celebrations, her colors will be Gold and Turquoise.
We're asking friends and family to submit video messages wishing 80 Years of Excellence to Queen Mother Barbara A. Hammond-Harvey-McClellan, Congratulating her on her Lifetime Achievement Award as well as Celebrating her Happy 80th Birthday. Video submissions will be brought together into one beautiful video gift, and it will be presented to Barbara to Honor her 80 Years of Excellence as a surprise!
With your help, Barbara's 80 Years of Excellence living will never forget this special one-of-a-kind birthday video. Please RSVP if you plan on participating, or get dressed up and submit your video now if you're ready using the link listed below.
Thank you for making her 80th birthday celebration one to remember. Submit your video message before Sun, Dec 15th, 2024, 11:59 PM. Her color theme is Gold and Turquoise.
We kindly ask that you dress elegantly, as this video will be played in an elegant setting. We thank you for being such an important part of her life journey!
Just click on the link below:
Create Your Video for Barbara McClellan's 80th Celebration
Please RSVP by clicking on the link below and enter the names and emails of those attending so that it can send you a Zoom link when it is time to join.
Barbara A. Hammond-Harvey-McClellan, born December 17th, 1944, is a native of Hammond, Louisiana. A community just northwest of New Orleans, LA. She was born to descendants of slaves, the late Daniel Buddy Hammond (1912-1993) and Ruth Warren Hammond (1918-1981), who married on April 3rd, 1932. She is the Ninth child born to this union of thirteen children, of which 4 siblings remain. (Florence Hammond Ramsey, Benjamin (Rosetta) Hammond Sr. of Hammond, LA; Gwendolyn Elaine Craddock of Bakersfield, CA, and Barbara A. Hammond McClellan (Everett) of The Magnificent City of Grand Terrace)The Hammond Clan originated from the little white house that her father, Daniel B. Hammond, built from the ground up, located at 1211 East Church Street. Barbara A. Hammond McClellan is the proud granddaughter of Berry Richard Hammond Sr. (1819-1957) and Minerva Walker Hammond (1896-1986), both born in Thomasville, GA, married on April 12th, 1891, before relocating to Hammond, LA. Berry Richard Hammond was the son of Sumpter and Charlotte Hammond, born Slaves in South Carolina with the Surname “Richards” in the 1860 Census until the year 1965 when they took on the surname of Hammond. Though her family comes from humble beginnings, Barbara has ultimately created a beautiful life for herself and her family here on the West Coast of California.
Barbara was raised in an SDA Christian home and attended the Emmanuel Seventh-day Adventist Church. She was baptized at an early age. Barbara attended The Greenville Park Elementary-High School. She was very popular throughout her high school years and has maintained many of her high school friendships to the present day. In 1958, She was voted Freshman Attendant to the Fall Homecoming Queen of 1959. In her Sophomore Year, 1959, she was voted Sophomore Attendant to the Fall Homecoming Queen of 1960. It is a surprise to no one that Barbara was elected Homecoming Queen in her Senior year as the graduating class of 1962; she was also nominated to give the class of ‘62 oratory speech on commencement day.
Barbara attended Southeastern Louisiana University for two years, from 1962-1965. Her desire was to become a Home Economics teacher. Still, during that time period, she experienced racism from the professors telling her that she could not receive a grade higher than a “C” no matter how well she did in her studies, and the stories she shares are heartbreaking, to say the least. She shares a story about how, eventually, she began turning in her assignments without a name on them, and each time, she was assured an “A” be written on those assignments, only to have them recorded in the grade book as lower once the instructor realized that it came from her, a student of color. Barbara does have very fond memories of her P.E. and Home Economics teachers. They were extremely kind, fair, and extremely professional. Barbara can recall her father sharing how one of the Home Economics teachers was holding her place on campus while she raised the money to afford her 3rd year's tuition.
(Dr. Eleanor L. Harvey, an Educator Specialist and longtime Resident of Grand Terrace, CA., interviewed Her mother, Barbara McClellan for this article)
Here are some historical facts that you should know about my mother, Barbara A. Hammond-Harvey-McClellan when I interviewed her about her experience of being one of the first African American women to integrate at Southeastern Louisiana University.
“I withdrew from Southeastern University in 1962-1963 because most of the students and professors were very prejudiced against me and other students of color attending. Because my parents never owned a car and there were no buses, I had to walk 5 miles every day to get from my home to the University.”
“In 1963-1964, I re-registered at Southeastern College with a new attitude and continued until 1965. I was a Home Economics major, and the professors in that department were very nice, but I can't say that about my other professors. I wasn't allowed to eat in the cafeteria and had to walk to the train station daily to buy lunch at the COLORED SECTION ONLY. Most of the students and professors at Southeastern treated me as if I had a contagious disease and didn't want to be near me. In June of 1965, I relocated to California and attended Laney City College in Oakland, CA. ”
As a result of these experiences, in 1965, my mother felt forced to drop out of college and relocate to Oakland, California, with one of her older siblings and her spouse, Ada M. and James Ward.
She was elated in October of this year, 2024, when her daughter, Dr. Eleanor L. Harvey (Educational Specialist of 27 years with SBCSS), reached out to the Southeastern Louisiana University to inquire about her mother’s standing with the University when Dr. Eric Summers, Vice President of Southeastern Louisiana University, sent her a hard copy of her 1963 sophomore yearbook. Barbara cried uncontrollably when she received the package from his secretary Paulette Hamilton, which was all wrapped up like a beautiful gift; when she saw her face and name in the yearbook, she burst into tears and said, “Wow! I never even recall being allowed to take any picture for the yearbook, and yet here I am! I can’t believe that I am smiling as if nothing bad was happening to me during this time period in my life!”
In 1966, Despite her challenges, my mother went on to live an exemplary life. She married and gave birth to two children, my younger brother Edward L. Harvey Jr of Moreno Valley and me. Academic excellence was a mandate for us as her children; she was our first Teacher, and as a result, we are both professionals. I am an Advanced Educator Specialist, and my brother is an RN working in the Loma Linda area. We both support our families by the examples set forth by our mother.
In 1978, Barbara and her family relocated to Kern County, where she worked as a school librarian at Bakersfield Adventist Academy and ultimately retired from a career in Social Services. She continued to work as a church Secretary for many years to support her grandchildren in private education until compromised health required her to retire. She has always spoken over the years of regret about not completing her degree in higher education. However, she has assisted in the development and academic achievements of the children she encounters and has ALWAYS been and continues to be an educator of children, especially leading out with the Vacation Bible School and with her 9 grandchildren.
While living in Bakersfield, CA, Barbara worked in Kern County's Department of Human Services as an Account Clerk. After retiring in 1996, she moved to Grand Terrace, CA. to join her spouse, Everett (Rusty) McClellan, who has been a resident of Grand Terrace since 1977. Everett was an employee of the San Bernardino Department of Public Health for 29 ½ years and retired in 2004.
Barbara has two children: Dr. Eleanor L. Harvey (San Bernardino County Special Education Department) and Edward L. Harvey, Jr (RN & spouse: Kimberlee Kibble-Harvey, a Speech Therapist). Four grandchildren were added: Reyna Harvey-Bell (KRON Anchor/San Francisco), Paul Porter III, Khyla Harvey, and Ethan Harvey.
Everett (Rusty) has two sons: Shaunn McClellan (Federal Police Officer in Washington state) and Scott McClellan (U.S. Army Reserve Retiree and an Employee of USP Victorville; his Spouse: Danielle McClellan). Rusty has 5 grandchildren: Kayla, Tamia, Alex, Sierra, & Jordyn.
Rusty & Barbara enjoy their four children and nine grandchildren and spend many birthdays and holidays together, along with their Grandma Linda McClellan.
We want to thank Dr. Summers for actively working on an initiative that will not only honor trailblazers like my mother but also serve as a means of emotional atonement. While the accounts of these experiences are heartbreaking, they remain stories of triumph. He will present our mother, Barbara A. Hammond-Harvey-McClellan, with a Virtual Academic Lifetime Achievement award at 2:00 PM PST via Zoom. We invite you, her local community, to come together on one accord and join the Zoom award ceremony along with her family, old friends, NEW friends, church, and the entire community.
My mother’s most significant legacy thus far is my daughter, Barbara’s 1st born granddaughter, Reyna Harvey, a longtime resident of Grand Terrace who graduated with her grandmother’s financial support and prayer from both Loma Linda Academy in 2010 and UCR with a Major in Political Science and Minor in Communication in 2016. Reyna is now a successful news anchor for KRON channel 4 news in San Francisco; without my mother’s financial support and influence, she could not be the force of nature that she is today. My daughter has agreed to use her Media Expertise as The Host and Anchor of her Grandmother Barbara’s Virtual Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony and 80th Birthday Celebration.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Thank you for making her 80th birthday celebration one to remember. Submit your video message before Sun, Dec 15th, 2024, 11:59 PM. Her color theme is Gold and Turquoise. We kindly ask that you dress elegantly (From The Waist Up), as this video will be played in an elegant setting. We thank you for being such an important part of her life journey!
Just click on the link below:
Create Your Video for Barbara McClellan's 80th Celebration
Please RSVP by clicking on the link below and enter the names and emails of those attending so that it can send you a Zoom link when it is time to join.