HEROES: A Man's a Man

Cornelius ("Connie") Charlton was the eighth and biggest of Mrs. Van Charlton's 17 babies—he weighed 15 lbs. 8 oz. at birth—and he was a good boy from the time he could toddle. Unlike many other U.S. parents, the Charltons never thought for a moment that he would grow up to be President. The Charltons are Negroes.

Negroes or not, they had great hopes for Connie. When he was 15, he stood 6 ft. tall and weighed 180 lbs. He never touched liquor, tobacco or profanity; he was honest, liked to cook, did well in his schoolwork and yearned to be a...