She was born Lena Douglas in Kansas City, Kansas in 1885. He father was an African Methodist Episcopalian minister. Her father was closely involved with Western University of Quindaro in Kansas, the first all-black school west of the Mississippi River. While she was a child, she spent much of her time on campus and took an interest in music.

Holt was married three times before she eventually enrolled in Western University. While she was there, she married her fourth husband, George Holt, a wealthy hotel owner and she changed her first name to “Nora.” Holt graduated valedictorian from Western with a degree in music in 1917. She then moved to Chicago where she enrolled in the Chicago Musical College. While working on her master’s, she contributed to the “Chicago Defender”, a black daily newspaper as a music critic. By 1918, she became the first African-American to earn a master’s degree in music.

After college, she co-founded the National Association of Negro Musicians. She then travelled to Europe and Asia, singing at nightclubs and private parties for the next 12 years. She composed over 200 works of orchestral music while living abroad. When she finally returned to the United States, she became a wild socialite and was considered a wealthy woman due to the inheritance from her late fourth husband. Holt did marry a fifth time, but the marriage did not last.

Eventually, she moved to Harlem and became an important part of the Harlem Renaissance. She became very close friends with Carl Van Vechten, a novelist and patron of the arts in Harlem. After time there, she moved to California and studied music at the University of Southern California. She began teaching in the Los Angeles area for the next several years. In the 1950’s, she began hosting a radio concert series called “Nora Holt’s Concert Showcase.” The show aired until 1964.

Throughout her life, Nora Holt made great contributions to music in America. Her writings, compositions, and critics of music helped others follow in her path. Nora Holt’s work in music made her a great American.

Emlen Tunnell was born in Garrett Hill, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia. At Radnor High School, Tunnell was an exceptional athlete in many different sports. He earned the chance to play football for the University of Toledo after high school, but was involved in an accident that broke his neck. Instead, he joined the basketball team and helped Toledo reach the NIT Finals in 1943.

Tunnell wanted to serve his country in World War II. However, his college injury was so severe that when he went to enlist in the military for World War II, he was rejected. Instead, Tunnell was able to join the US Coast Guard, where he served for two years. While in service, he was decorated with saving the lives of his shipmates on more than one occasion.

After service, Tunnell decided to play semi-professional baseball. While playing baseball, he was talked into attending the University of Iowa to resume his collegiate football career. He played with distinction until an eye injury made him miss the entire 1947 season. While he was home in Pennsylvania, he received a questionnaire about football from the New York Giants professional football team. Tunnell hitchhiked to New York City and met with owner Tim Mara. Tunnell became the first African-American to sign with and play for the Giants.

Tunnell played for the New York Giants for 11 years and became the cornerstone of their “umbrella” defense. He was chosen to play in the Pro Bowl nine times. He was a punt returner and a safety. He played a record 143 consecutive games with the Giants and lead the league in punt returns two seasons. He helped the Giants to the 1958 NFL Championship Game against the Baltimore Colts, dubbed “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” When the Giants’ assistant coach Vince Lombardi left to be the head coach in Green Bay, Tunnell followed and played there for three years.

At the time of his retirement from football, he held the league record with 79 interceptions and 262 punt returns for 2,217 yards. He became the first African-American to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967. He became the first African-American pro scout and the first African-American assistant coach in the NFL. Unfortunately, he died of a heart attack at the age of 50 in 1975. However, his contributions to football, his country, and breaking the color barrier made him a great American.