WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The City of Wichita Falls is changing one street’s name to honor the history of a local Tuskegee Airman.

The City will officially change Cleveland Avenue in the city to Cleaver Street on Friday, February 24, at 11 a.m.

The street name change is to honor Leroy Cleaver Jr.

The late Cleaver has a long line of honors from his life, including a Congressional Gold Medal Award honoree for Tuskegee Airmen in World War II.

Cleaver Jr. enlisted in the U. S. Army-Air Force on April 23, 1942, and received an honorable discharge on April 2, 1946.

During his service, he trained as a pilot at Tuskegee Institute of Technology. He later became a pilot instructor and retained his pilot’s license for several years.

He was the first black civilian at Sheppard Air Force Base teaching aircraft hardware, missile
corrosion, jet engine mechanics and water and wastewater control.

Cleaver Jr. retired from the base in 1970. He also taught at Barwise Junior High School and was the pastor of Jackson Memorial Church of God in Christ (COGIC) for approximately 35 years.

Jackson Memorial COGIC is at the corner of Marconi and Cleaver, the intersection where the street name change will take place Friday. The community is invited out to celebrate the change at 11 a.m.

The street name change is a collaborative effort of several who felt the legacy of Mr. Cleaver
deserved the honor.