Commission Remembers Civil Rights Advocate's Contributions
Washington, DC - The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights mourned the death of LeGree S. Daniels, 85, a federal civil rights official in the Reagan, Bush and Clinton administrations, who died Nov. 19 in her home near Harrisburg, Pa.
President Ronald Reagan appointed her assistant secretary of civil rights at the Department of Education in 1987, a position which she held for two years. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush appointed Ms. Daniels to the Postal Service Board of Governors; President Bill Clinton reappointed her to the board in 1999, and she remained a member until her death. She also co-chaired the National Black Republican Council for three years and led Blacks for Reagan-Bush in 1984. In 2004, upon receiving an honorary degree from Dickinson College, she was recognized for the determination and courtesy with which she had overcome racial insensitivity from co-workers in her early assignments.
Gerald A. Reynolds, Chairman of the Commission said: "Ms. Daniels long record of service to this country, her important work in the area of civil rights, and the admirable manner in which she carried out her duties should be an example for future generations.
Born in Denmark, S.C., Ms. Daniels began her political career in Germantown, Pa., serving as chairwoman of the Harriet Tubman Republican Women's Club. In 1941, she began a five-decade career in state government first serving at the Department of Revenue.
12/02/05