A simple obituary from The Aurora, the Knoxville College newspaper, in January 1923 announced the passing of Mrs. Mary Turner Rogers. Still a young woman, she succumbed to pneumonia at the Knoxville College Hospital. She’d graduated from the Normal Course of the college just 10 years prior.
A native of Huntsville, Alabama, she came to Knoxville to further her education. After graduation she spent two years doing community service work in the Black community, working for local Presbyterian churches. In 1915, she married John W. Rogers, and with him had four children, who were all still very young when their mother returned to the family graveyard in Alabama.
Another issue of The Aurora from 1925 shows an ad for Rogers’ Barber Shop, John W. Rogers, proprietor. It was later known as the Twin Shop. In addition to his barber shop, at the time located at 202 Central Street, Rogers was also a minister at the A.M.E. Zion church. A graduate of Knoxville College himself, he made regular contributions to his alma mater as well as leading efforts to gather donations annually for the Community Chest.
In the 1930s it was not common for the comings and goings of the Black community to make the front pages of The Knoxville News Sentinel or The Knoxville Journal unless it was crime related. That alone is an indictment of the media at that time. The stories of graduations, sports, dances, community events, weddings and funerals, generally ran in the local Black community newspapers. So it is of note that on January 10, 1931, the KNS ran the one paragraph story announcing John W. Rogers’ death. His obituary in The Aurora was considerably longer, mentioning that he was a “loyal friend of Knoxville College who could always be depended on to do his best.” For years, Rogers gifted a silver loving cup to the most valuable player on the K.C. football team as selected by teammates.
Rogers was leaving behind his second wife, Mrs. Sallie Fields Rogers, and his four children, Geraldine, John W., Annie and Juanita. The children were soon to leave their home on Brandau Avenue (now Street) near the K.C. campus off Western Avenue. Now orphaned, the children were scooped up by their uncle, Henry Tanner, and moved to Chicago.

Capt. John W. Rogers in his flight uniform (Photo Credit: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)
Young John was only 12 years at the time. He went on to graduate from Tilden Technical High School and to earn his bachelor’s degree from Chicago State University. In his free time, he’d worked on getting his pilot’s license from a Civilian Pilot Training Program in his adopted hometown.
By 1942, the United States’ involvement in World War II was underway, and John enlisted in the Army Air Corps (which became the Air Force). And this is where an orphan from Mechanicsville began his journey to etch his name across the sky and history. He graduated from the Tuskegee Advanced Pilot Cadet program in Alabama on August 5, 1942, with a commission as a 2nd lieutenant. He was among the first 34 Black combat fighter pilots and one of the original 28 pilots in the 99th Fighter Squadron (332nd Fighter Group) to be deployed overseas. The Tuskegee Airmen were known as Red Tails for painting the tails on their P-47s (and, eventually, P-51 Mustangs) red.
A type-written note attached to the feature photo in this story said he “was the best dive bomber pilot in the business.” He notched 120 successful combat missions in the European Theatre. He left the Air Corps having achieved the rank of captain.
Capt. Rogers went on to have a successful law career in Chicago, eventually becoming an associate judge in Cook County, Illinois, and later serving 21 years as a juvenile court judge. When he first came home from the war and tried to enroll in the University of Chicago Law School, his application was rejected. He returned wearing his captain’s uniform and told the powers that be that any person who served in the war deserved admittance. The rejection was rescinded.
Rogers died in 2014 at the age of 95 and is buried in Chicago’s Oak Woods Cemetery.
Beth Kinnane writes a history feature for KnoxTNToday.com. It’s published each Tuesday and is one of our best-read features.
Sources: McClung digital collection-Knox County Library, Knoxville New Sentinel digital archives, Knoxville College The Aurora digital archives, National Archives/Library of Congress, University of Chicago digital archives, The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Another great article, Beth. Thank you!
Great stuff, as always!
Thanks for the great article. I particularly enjoy aviation related local history.
I truly loved this one, Beth, and posted it on FB. Good job (as usual). hugs.
120 missions? Wow. Excellent article Beth.
Too bad the information about the Tuskegee Airman from displays and other sources. What’s the harm in honoring the airmen who helped win WWII.