Robert Jennings

Robert Wallace Jennings was born on May 10, 1942, into a family of educators, with parents Mattie Wylma Woods and Bethew Bertrands Jennings, Sr. Being the youngest of three sons, Robert moved with his family to Pascagoula at an early age, where his father became the principal and his mother an English teacher. Together, they expanded the local school from a tenth grade level to a twelfth grade level institution, developing a comprehensive curriculum.

Robert graduated from the now-dissolved George Washington Carver High School in 1960. During his time there, he was an active student, playing football, participating in the marching band, and becoming an Explorer Scout and assistant scout leader. In 1960, he entered Tougaloo College, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in 1964. He continued his education at Tuskegee University, where he received a Master’s degree in Biology from the George Washington Carver Foundation in 1967.

In April 1968, Robert enlisted in the U.S. Army Security Agency and was stationed in the Far East. During his service, he handled highly classified information crucial to the war effort, earning several top secret clearances and rising to the rank of Specialist Fifth Grade. While stationed in Sobe, Okinawa, he also taught adult education courses at a branch of the University of Maryland. He returned to the United States in 1971 and received an honorable discharge.

In 1972, Robert began working as a chemist at Litton Shipbuilding Systems in Pascagoula, Mississippi. During his tenure at Litton Shipyard, he was granted security clearances to handle information related to the overhaul and construction of nuclear submarines, naval destroyers, and Helo-Landing crafts for the U.S. Navy and its allies. After the closure of the naval program at Litton Shipbuilding, he joined Chevron, USA. For the final eighteen years of his career, Robert served as a material analyst, safety instructor, and member of fact-finding committees.

In 1978, Robert married Loretta Tolbert Jennings, and together they have one daughter, Sonya Felica White-Porter, who is a Doctor of Dental Surgery.