Oral History with James "JR" Reed (R'81)

James "JR" Reed, Jr. was born at Andrews AFB, right out of Washington DC. JR grew up in the Southeast section of Washington DC, in the Hillcrest neighborhood. He attended Archbishop Carroll High School, located in the Northwest section of DC. He played football and ran track during his four years there. JR graduated from Carroll in 1977 with a scholarship to play football at the University of Richmond (U of R). During his 4-year tenure at the U of R, he played football, he was a four-year ROTC cadet, and he started the first predominately Black fraternity at the U of R, (Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, INC.). He graduated in 1981 with a undergraduate degree in Business Economics and a US Army commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Military Police Corps. During his 22 years of service, Reed also earned a Master's Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Information Systems from Troy State University. After retiring from service, Reed worked another 14 years within the Department of Defense, as a Contractor and Civil Servant. Presently, JR owns his own business as a Real Estate Investor. Currently, he resides in the Chesapeake, VA.