Timeline: Life of a Legend

Cecil A. Reed (1913-2006)

Born October 23, 1913, to William Garrett and Julia Reed, in Collinsville, Illinois.

1923–Moved to Cedar Rapids, after living in Davenport, Omaha, and Estherville.

1932–Graduated from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids.

1935-1944–With his sister Edith and brother Wally, formed “The Three Gold Flashes”, which performed variety acts for many years at clubs and functions in Cedar Rapids and the Midwest.

1930’s-1950’s–Cecil’s parents, and later his family, hosted famous black entertainers at their home. It created Cecil’s national network of friends, including Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Sonny Price, Count Basie, Jimmy Lunceford, Noble Sissle, the Four Cleffs, the Step Brothers, the Nicholas Brothers, the King Cole Trio, and Louie Jordan and his Timpany Five.

1936–Married Evelyn Collins, daughter of the minister at Bethel AME Church in Cedar Rapids. The couple moved to Davenport to be close to her parents during her first pregnancy. Carol Reed was born in 1939.

1939–Moved back to Cedar Rapids, worked as a janitor, dishwasher, cook, and chef, until hired to run the Foxhead Tavern. One of Cecil’s duties was to hire bands to play at the Tavern. He often traveled to Chicago and hired bands through Beryl Adams, a talent agent. On one trip, Cecil visited a showbar and heard a new group called the King Cole Trio. He told Adams about their unique sound. Adams took Nat “King” Cole on as a client, and Cecil may have been responsible for promoting one of the greatest musicians in history.

1940’s–Founded Reed’s Floor Maintenance, employing his family members and as many as 15 workers at a time. The business grew to include Reed’s Floor Store and Reed’s Floor Sanding and Finishing.

1943–Son Richard Reed was born.

1948–Son Michael Reed was born.

1948–Cecil received a diploma certifying him as a floor maintenance expert through a correspondence school. His only formal education was in high school and through correspondence schools.

1950’s–Cecil serves on the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce Board (he was the first African American to chair a committee) and the Cedar Rapids Symphony Board (the first African American to do so).

1952–Son David Reed was born.

1953–The Reed family moved to Bertram Road SE, at the time a rural area with sparse housing. Neighbors contested the Reed family’s move, but the family eventually won them over. Cecil built a park on the property, complete with a midget race track, merry-go-round, tennis court, ponies and horses, and a swimming hole. Cecil later donated the land for Lincoln Park, and received the first Social Action Award from the Catholic Center of Cedar Rapids.

1954–In response to the lack of accommodations for black travelers, the Reed family opened Motel Sepia on their property, which was a part of the Lincoln Highway. The cozy cabins, although trumpeted as accommodations for blacks, welcomed all travelers for ten years, before becoming rental housing. The Motel Sepia was listed in the Nationwide Hotel Association’s guidebook for black travelers.

1964–The Reed family was the subject of a large feature article in the Des Moines Register, “Small Businessman, Big Citizen,” by Joan Liffring.

1966–Cecil was elected the only African American Republican to serve in the Iowa legislature. Richard Nixon campaigned on his behalf.

1967–Cecil Reed was sworn in to the State Legislature. He served on the Iowa board of the Migrants’ Action Committee. He successfully sponsored bills for a new highway between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, a new four-lane highway to run along Lincoln Highway route, a new community-college system for teaching vocational and technical skills (our current community college system), and a fair-housing act that extended federal guarantees to citizens in Iowa under his leadership. The Fair Housing Act of 1967, passed unanimously. Cecil also had the privilege of presiding over the Iowa House during the absence of the speaker, making him the only African American to have had that duty.

1967–After six months in the legislature, Governor Harold Hughes appointed Cecil commissioner of the Iowa Employment Security Commission, the first African American in any state to hold that position. Cecil managed the state unemployment insurance program, the employment service program, and the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS). He directed 550 employees throughout the state of Iowa. The Reed family moved to Des Moines.

1968–Governor Robert Ray appointed Cecil to the Governor’s Educational Advisory Committee. He worked with the Board of Educational Broadcasting to produce a television and radio series on black history.

1968–Served as chair of the Iowa division of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, and served on the national board of directors. Cecil also founded the Northern Brotherhood Leadership Conference.

1969–Cecil became the executive assistant for the Regional Administrator for Equal Opportunity, Department of Labor, assuming the role of Equal Opportunity Employment Specialist for the Kansas City Manpower Administration. In his new position, he was charged to prevent discrimination against minorities employed in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North and South Dakota, and Utah.

1971–Cecil was appointed the Assistant Administrator for Job Corps. In this position, he implemented programs to help youth, new contractors, and others acquire training for employment and contract proposals.

1974–Cecil was appointed Assistant Regional Administrator, United States Dept. of Labor, Area Operations for Employment and Training Programs. Cecil stated that this really was just a “name change,” that his duties were “still to make people employable.”

1979–Cecil was appointed Assistant Regional Administrator for Job Service.

1983–Cecil retired from government employment. He began a new career as a public speaker. His duties included 16-20 trips per year to Shepherdstown, West Virginia, to speak to the Department of Labor’s Management Trainee classes; trips to Arizona to speak annually at commencement addresses; and an annual speaking tour in Europe.

1993–Cecil served as chairman of the Mark Twain Bank of Shawnee Mission, Kansas, Advisory Board.

1993–Cecil’s memoir, Fly in the Buttermilk, was published by the University of Iowa Press as part of its “Singular Lives” series.

1995–Cecil became active in the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa. He became an honorary life member.

2001-2–Cecil continued to touch the lives of young people. He participated in two oral history projects, one by students at Cornell College, and the other by Metro High School students. He remained friends with the teachers and students long after the projects ended.

2003–Cecil was named a community Hero by the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival.

2006–Cecil was named “Member of the Year” by the Lincoln Highway Association.

The major source for this timeline was Fly in the Buttermilk, Cecil Reed’s autobiography. The book is available in the Nikee Gift Shop.
Call 319-862-2101 ext. 10 for more information.