Henry R. Bellinger
Henry R. (Reggie) Bellinger graduated third in his class at George Washington Carver High School, in Salem, Virginia, in 1956. He was class president for four consecutive years, president of the Student Body, Hi-Y, and the Dramatics Club. He also sang in the choir and played in the band. Excelling in sports, he served as captain of both the football and basketball teams. His senior year, Henry won the B’nai B’rith Award as the outstanding scholar athlete at Carver. At the First Baptist Church, he sang in choir, was secretary of his Sunday School Class, and a member of the Ushers Board.
Attending West Virginia State College, Henry earned a B.A. degree in Sociology in 1960 and also completed the institution’s ROTC program. At WVSC, he was a record-setting member and captain of the track team, active in the Pershing Rifles Military Fraternity, Scabbard and Blade Military Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, “W” Club, “Yellow Jacket” staff, Student Council, Panhellenic Council, Sociology Club, Welfare Committee, and the Prillerman Hall Council. In 1985, Henry was named to the WVSC Sports Hall of Fame and in 1991, to the college’s ROTC Hall of Fame.
His further education included receiving a Master’s degree in Management/Science at the National Graduate University in Arlington, Virginia. As a career officer in the U.S. Army, his tours of duty included: Korea, Alaska, the Pentagon, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Vietnam. After 20 years of active service, he retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel. His many military awards included the Army Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star, and the Legion of Merit.
Following military service, Henry worked with other federal agencies including the Department of Defense, Civil Aeronautics Board, and the General Services Administration. In 1989, he moved to the U.S. Department of the Treasury as Washington District Buildings Manager for the department’s Financial Management Service. In this position, Henry has been highly praised for his overall ability, effectiveness, and dedication. A strong supporter of the department’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program, in 1995, he received the prestigious Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (EEO) Award.
Active in the Severn Baptist Church, he is an Ordained Deacon, Usher, President of the Board of Trustees, Chairman of the Stewardship Committee, and chaired the Building Committee’s $600,000 Building Program. Also involved in community and civic affairs, Henry was Vice President for Finance for the Maryland State Conference of Branches NAACP, former board member of the Anne Arundel County Branch of the NAACP, a Golden Heritage Life Member of the NAACP, and a Life Member of the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association. He is also a Life Member of the West Virginia State College Alumni Association and presently serves as president of the Athletic Booster Club. He has been re-appointed to the Board of Directors for the Maryland/Delaware Association for the Southern Baptist Convention. Honors bestowed upon him include being named Omega Man of the Year.
The son of Sadie E. Harris of Salem, Henry and his wife, Margaret (Genny), reside in Odenton, Maryland. Their five children are: Henry Bellinger, Jr., Lisa Richmond, Karen Hutchinson, Allison Laurens, and Maria Britton.
In recognition of his outstanding career achievements, Henry R. Bellinger
was among those inducted in 1997 into the Salem Alumni Hall of Fame established
by the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association.
