At its annual meeting on 5 October 2020, BCG trustees approved the naming of its new scholarship as the Paul Edward Sluby Sr. African American Scholarship. Mr. Sluby was the first board-certified African American genealogist, having been approved by the Board for Certification of Genealogists in 1973.
Paul Edward Sluby Sr. (1934–2019)
(Photograph used with the permission of Patricia Carter Sluby, PhD)
In 1977 he joined with others to found the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. (AAHGS), and was its first vice president for genealogical programs, a role he filled until 1981. He also served as AAHGS Newsletter editor (1977–1981), treasurer (1981–1983), and executive secretary (1981–1983). AAHGS named one of its two meritorious achievement awards in his honor. He also served as a director of the National Genealogical Society from 1978–1980.
Mr. Sluby was a District of Columbia police officer from 1961 until his retirement in 1980 from the helicopter branch. An Army veteran, he served from 1954–1957, receiving his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and military police training at Camp Gordon, Georgia. He served with the 385th Military Police Battalion at Stuttgart, Germany. In addition to his interest in genealogy, he was an avid racquetball player. A resident of Maryland at the time of his death, he is survived by his wife Patricia Carter Sluby, PhD (also a genealogist), and three children from an earlier marriage: Paul Jr., Thomas, and René Sluby.
BCG previously announced the 2021 winners of the Paul Edward Sluby Sr. African American Scholarship as James R. Morgan III (Hyattsville, Maryland), LaJoy Y. Mosby (Columbia, Maryland), and Nikki Williams Sebastian (Tucker, Georgia).
The words Certified Genealogist and letters CG are registered certification marks, and the designations CGL and Certified Genealogical Lecturer are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, used under license by board certificants after periodic evaluation.