Description
The Men of Tomorrow, Inc. was a male
African American civic and professional organization started in Oakland, California in 1954. Founded by Jefferson Beaver, Richard A.G. Foster,
Aramis Fouche, Theodore R. Hardeman, H. Solomon Hill, L. Sylvester Odom, Kenneth F. Smith, and George R. Vaughns, the group
eventually grew to include over 300 members including many notable judges and politicians, including Evelio Grillo, Lionel
Wilson, and Allen Broussard, and would eventually establish additional chapters in San Francisco, Richmond, Sacramento, and
Los Angeles. The Men of Tomorrow, Inc Oakland Chapter records document meetings, conferences, and the administration of the
organization between 1959-1985.
Background
The Men of Tomorrow, Inc. was a male
African
American civic and professional organization started in Oakland, California in 1954. Founded by Jefferson Beaver, Richard A.G. Foster,
Aramis Fouche, Theodore R. Hardeman, H. Solomon Hill, L. Sylvester Odom, Kenneth F. Smith, and George R. Vaughns, the group
eventually grew to include over 300 members including many notable judges and politicians, including Evelio Grillo, Lionel
Wilson, and Allen Broussard, and would eventually establish additional chapters in San Francisco, Richmond, Sacramento, and
Los Angeles. The organizations membership consisted chiefly of lawyers, judges, politicians, doctors, pastors, educators,
and businessmen from Oakland and was dedicated to foster the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations and
the dignifying by each member of his occupation or profession as an opportunity to serve society through fellowship. The
Men of Tomorrow, Inc. was governed by a moderator, Board of Directors, and a Chairman of the Board and was organized into
seven standing committees: membership, program, finance and budget, charter and extension, community relations, youth services,
and publicity. The group held weekly business meetings at Jack London Inn, where they would often invite notable speakers
to give lectures on politics, education, civil rights, religion, sports, international relations, labor relations, and economics.
Beginning in 1959, the group also held a biennial conference on social and economic issues related to the
African
American community.