Michael Jennings:
CLASS OF 1969
Booker T. Washington High SchoolClass of 1969
Tulsa, OK
Walden UniversityClass of 2021
Minneapolis, MN
Pittsburgh, PA
University of Dayton - Graduate SchoolClass of 1977
Dayton, OH
Central State UniversityClass of 1975
Wilberforce, OH
Michael's Story
MUSIC LIFE
Growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Michael began playing the trombone at age 10 and developed his early musical skills playing with local bands, one of which included Charles "Charlie" Wilson of the GAP Band. In the 70's, Michael performed with and sharpened his vocal skills with "Vesta" Williams, in a local band called, "Twenty-First Century Flash."
Performing and recording with some of the music business' best talents and pioneers in the 80's, Michael's smooth and melodic trombone-playing soon caught the eye of Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner, of the "Ohio Players" and subsequently Roger Troutman of "Zapp Featuring Roger". As a professional musician in the 70's with these two Ohio-based bands, Michael performed and toured with well-known acts such as Cameo, New Edition, The GAP Band, Midnight Star, Kool and the Gang, Slave, BT Express, and Confunkshun. Michael learned from these Old School musical styles and gifted musicians of the 70's - 80's music era.
Michael's soulful trombone playing and vocal styles can be found on the Ohio Player's album, "Ouch". His musical skills and performance credits are documented on the albums of "Zapp Featuring Roger", "Zapp III", "Roger II", and the debut albums of "Bobby Glover", "New Horizons" and "Shirley Murdock".
With the track record and experience gained from his association with some of Black America's best recording artists, Michael is currently marketing his talents as a songwriter through his music production company, "MiJen Productions."
ACADEMIC LIFE
Michael Jennings is currently a Human Factors Engineering Psychologist at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia. Michael has over twenty years of experience in the design, analysis and testing of software products, user interfaces and enterprise systems in the online service industry, government, academic and private sectors. He has provided usability, web development, human factors, and information architecture consulting for such companies as Accenture, Aquilent, Lockheed-Martin, Verizon Online, Freddie Mac, marchFirst, USWeb, Bank One, Chase Manhattan, MBNA, UPAC, Virtumundo, Centrport, Usable Products Corporation, Harris Corporation, University of Dayton, Prodigy, Logical Design Solutions...Expand for more
, iXL, SonicNet, ICon CMT Corporation, KPMG, John Hancock, Lucent Technologies, Platinum Technologies, Berico Technologies, Quasars, Inc., and the U.S. Air Force. Michael Jennings holds a Master's degree in Human Factors from the University of Dayton, a Master's in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and is now a Doctoral candidate at Walden University. Mike's hometown is Tulsa, Oklahoma; he currently resides with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia.
MILITARY LIFE
I attended Boot Camp at Ft. Polk, LA in the Summer of 1969 as a Private/E-1. Went on to Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Gordon, GA acquiring skills as a 3lM20 (Radio Relay and Carrier Operator) and promoted as a PFC/E-3. Afterwards, I was too young to go to Vietnam, so I was sent state-side to Ft. Hood, TX. Upon arrival, the company clerk was getting out of the service, and since I had exceptional clerical skills I was able to assume the Company Clerk role in a Signal Corps unit. When I was promoted to Sp4/E-4, I changed my Military Occupational Speciality (MOS) from 3lM20 to 71L20 (Administrative Specialist). Since I was now eighteen years old, I was sent to Quang Tri City, Quantri Province, Vietnam about 10 miles from the Demilitarized Zone for one year by way of Hawaii, Guam, and Saigon. Now, instead of calling in air strikes, I was assigned as the Compay Clerk of a Replacement Detachment in the Northern-most province of South Vietnam. I finished my tour in Vietnam in June of 1971 as a Sp5/E-5, and I was sent directly to Heidelberg, Germany instead of being able to spend some time at home. In Heidelberg, I was assigned to the Protocol Department for Headquarter, USAEUR. My daily routine was to make lodging accommodations for VIPs and General Staff, and arrange for 12 individuals of Colonel rank or higher everyday to attend the Major General's Staff Luncheon. Being in the Protocol Department had its advantages. When government legislature came across my desk for a six-month drop from your military enlistment to attend school, I jumped on it and returned home to Tulsa, Oklahoma on December 23rd of 1971. In September of 1972, I enrolled at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio using the GI Bill, a music and tennis scholarship.
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