Dr. Donnie D. Bellamy

Edwards Small Mortuary announces with our deepest sympathy the passing of Dr. Donnie D. Bellamy.  Our sincere condolences to the family and friends. 

“My challenge was to weave into the fabric of American history enough of the presence of blacks so that the story of the United States could be told adequately and fairly.” John Hope Franklin

Dr. Donnie D. Bellamy also affectionately called, “Doc” was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina where he grew up in the “Dew Drop” and Georgetown communities as next to the youngest child of six siblings. A school dropout after accelerating promotion from sixth to eighth grade, he returned to Georgetown High School and graduated in 1958. Following graduation, he married his high school sweetheart Juanita Hunter on July 21, 1958, and two beautiful daughters were born to this union.

 Doc later furthered his education at North Carolina College at Durham (presently North Carolina Central University), completing the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Political Science (1962) and the Master of Arts degree with a major in history (1964). He then began a doctoral program at the University of Missouri-Columbia on a Ford Foundation Fellowship and Floyd C. Shoemaker Scholarship. Missouri conferred on him the Doctor of Philosophy degree (1970) after two years of coursework and a dissertation in Southern History.

 Once Fort Valley became his home, he joined the Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church family under the leadership of the late, Pastor Morris Hillsman where he served faithfully. While a member, he penned the book, “ From Slavery to Freedom, A Pictorial History of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church Since 1863” which shared the foundation of the church's history and its beloved members.

 He continued his professional career which had begun in 1964 at The Fort Valley State College, advancing through the ranks from instructor to professor. In 1981, he was promoted to the rank of Regents’ Professor of History by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, becoming one of the first two black faculty members to hold the distinguished professorship. The Regents’ Professorship recognizes teaching excellence, scholarly research, and publication.

 The late former President, Dr. Oscar Prater selected Dr. Bellamy to write a historical view about the university which led to his book entitled, “Light in the Valley: A Pictorial History of Fort Valley State College Since 1895”. It has become a great wealth of information on the history of Fort Valley State University.

 As Chairman of the Division of Social Science, Dr. Bellamy established in 1980 an annual lecture series Banks, Pierro, Rutland or B-P-R Social Sciences Colloquium and Scholarship Fund. 

 On June 30, 1998, he retired and was honored with the title Regents’ Professor of History Emeritus, and his name was added to the B-P-R Social Sciences Colloquium. In retirement, he enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, especially on family vacations to the beach, reading, and writing.

 Donnie leaves to cherish his memory: long-term sweetheart, Juanita Hunter Bellamy; daughters: Donna Denise Bellamy(Fort Valley, GA) and Donnita Donette Bellamy (Warner Robins, GA); brother, Earnest Bellamy (Jacksonville, NC); one granddaughter, Benita Davis (Saire) of Kennesaw, GA; along with a host of other nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends. His closest friends include former students, Herbert Gantt and Reverend and Attorney Gregory Homer.