Arthur Sykes

Arthur E. Sykes Jr.Arthur (Art) E. Sykes Jr. was a 1954 graduate of Wadsworth High School. Art lettered in football, basketball, and baseball, and was a member of the National Honor society, choir, Glee Club, and Barbershop Quartet. He was a member of the 1954 WHS baseball team that was inducted into the Medina County Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. Art was a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. At BGSU he played football and baseball, was treasurer of his fraternity and first Afro-American Air Force ROTC graduate. After military service, Art worked with the Defense Department and with the Social Security Administration. Post graduate work in business-public administration was completed at the University of Akron, Governors State University (Illinois) and Kansas State University.Art has been an outstanding Afro-American pioneer in social, business, and academic areas. Hired by Jos. T. Ryerson Steel CO. in 1965, Art had an 18 year career in production management. A feature article, "Hard Hat Boss" in May 1973 issue of Ebony Magazine, recognized Art as the first Afro-American steel plant superintendent in America.He began a new career in college facilities management in 1982 working at The College of DuPage(Illinois), Kansas State University, Peralta Community College District (Oakland, CA), From 1991-1995 Art served as the Associate Superintendent of Schools of the Kansas City Missouri School district, responsible for maintenance, operations, security, and engineering. And Art, served as Director of College Facilities Management with Eastfield College in Mesquite Texas from 1997 until retirement in 2014.Art played baseball in the NEMONT independent Baseball League and also in the Midwest Pro Baseball League. He had a great sports officiating career, in 1965 he helped establish the Metropolitan Officials Association of Chicago. He spent 30 years as a high school and college basketball and baseball official. Art served 5 years on the United Methodist North Texas Conference Board of Directors. Art is survived by his son, Arthur III and his daughter Alyse (Sykes) Seals

Arthur Sykes

April 27, 1936 - May 21, 2017