Committee hears residents on renaming Hwy. 50

Five Tipton residents, all of whom either counted the late James “Jim” Shipley among their friends or one of the people they admire greatly, joined State Representative Willard Haley at the Missouri Capitol Wednesday, Feb. 15, for a hearing on a proposal to designate Highway 50 through Tipton in Shipley’s honor.

Haley is handling the bill in the Missouri House and presented it before the House Committee on Transportation Infrastructure. House Bill 44 was filed Dec. 1 and has been read twice in that body. The effort was initiated with a social media posting by area author Jeremy Ämick.

Attending Wednesday’s hearing and offering testimony were John Schuster, Jill Tobin, Henry Suddarth and John Brant. Vernon Gage also accompanied the group.

James L. Shipley

“While it was unfortunate Jeremy Ämick could not attend, it was a blessing to have these friends and neighbors of James Shipley testify in favor of House Bill 44, requesting to name a portion of US Highway 50 the ‘SGT James L. Shipley Memorial Highway,’” said Haley. “I am confident the committee will vote in favor of this bill at their next hearing and we can get it approved in both the House and Senate.

Sgt. James Lloyd Shipley, a World War II veteran who served with the famed all Black Tuskeegee Airmen, died at the age of 99 last July. He was a crew chief and mechanic for the 332nd Fighter Group that became known as the “Red Tails.”

After the war, Jim returned to his hometown where he and his wife, Mildred, raised three children. He went on to retire as a mechanic from Co-Mo Electric Cooperative, was an active member of Prairie Grove Baptist Church and volunteered at Christian youth camps during the summers. His humble, Christian nature earned the respect of all whom he met.

He collaborated on his biography with area author Jeremy Ämick who documents veterans stories, and spoke to countless youth about love of country.

Many of the accolades bestowed upon Jim came in later years. With fellow Tuskegee veterans, he was presented the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007, received his high school diploma from the Tipton School District at the age of 97, and was presented the 2019 Tipton Community Pride Award by the Tipton Chamber of Commerce.

HB 44 asks that the portion of U.S. Highway 50 from Bahner Quarry Road on the east to Tower Road on the west through the City of Tipton be designated the "SGT James L. Shipley Memorial Highway."

In less than three days, a social media posting by Ämick petitioning for the designation raised more than $5,000 because private money is required to such a change. Any monies above what is needed for the initial signage will be donated to the James Shipley Museum of African American History to be housed in the former Harrison School. The school is where Black students in Tipton received their education in the days of segregation, including Jim. The museum will preserve not only his story, but that of other Harrison students who contributed on the local, state, national and world levels.