Col. George S. "Spanky" Roberts
- Oil on canvas
- 18.5 x 22.5 in (framed)
- Robert E. Tanner
The Tuskegee Airmen portraits were a gift to the Supreme Court of Ohio from the artist, Robert E. Tanner, in 2008. The five oil paintings are part of a 10-part body of work by the Delaware County artist. Robert Tanner combined his respect for the Tuskegee Airmen, his love of aviation, and his artistic talents to create the series of portraits showing the faces of men who helped change history. Tanner donated the paintings to the Supreme Court of Ohio in the hope the public would view them and remember a group of men who fought for the United States and contributed to the historic social change toward racial equality in America.
George S. “Spanky” Roberts was born Sept. 24, 1918, in Fairmount, W.Va. As a child, Roberts lived near an airport and loved watching the planes take off. He attended West Virginia State College, a historically black college, where he studied psychology, sociology, and engineering. While in college, he was nicknamed “Spanky” because he told upperclassmen he would spank them if they did not leave him alone. West Virginia State College became the first of six black colleges selected for inclusion in the Civilian Pilot Training Program, which was created to develop a ready group of pilots for war. In 1941, Roberts became the first African American cadet accepted for pilot training in the Army Air Corps. As part of the 99th Fighter Squadron, he was appointed commander on June 1, 1942, and during the war, he commanded the 332nd Fighter Group, which consisted of four fighter squadrons. In 1948, the armed forces were integrated by President Harry Truman’s executive order, and Roberts became the first black commander of an integrated U.S. Air Force unit at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Roberts retired with the rank of colonel in February 1968 after 27 years of active duty.
- Framed: 18.5 x 22.5 in
- Subject Matter: Portrait
- Created: 2007
- Current Location: Floor 2 - Dining Room
- Collections: Contemporary Art, Paintings, The Tuskegee Airmen Portraits