her airplane was diverted to England, Department of Labor as a manpower and she was sent back to Germany. development specialist. After beginning Oleta’s next and final military her job at the Department of Labor, assignment was at Lindsey Air Station she took a leave of absence to assist in Wiesbaden, Germany, where she in organizing the first government served as a contracting officer from program at the national YWCA offices 1959 to mid–1963. From headquarters, in New York. She returned to D.C. and she flew all over Europe and parts of worked there for the next four years. the Middle East—Saudi Arabia, Turkey, In 1968, Oleta went to the Boston, Greece, Crete, Holland, France, Norway, Massachusetts, office as associate and England—performing manpower regional administrator for the evaluation studies. She also visited Department of Labor’s Office of Job Damascus, Jerusalem, and Cairo. Her job Service for the six New England states. was lonely, but fascinating. She enrolled She educated herself on the plight of in Maryland’s extension university in women in the workforce and questioned Heidelberg and earned a bachelor’s in whether some of her previous negative public administration. On June 1, 1963, experiences had been because of her Major Crain retired from active duty at gender instead of her race. By 1974, she Lindsey Air Station. During the summer, was women’s program coordinator and equal employment opportunity officer for the Boston office. She spoke to women around the country about their employment rights. Oleta earned a master’s in public administration at Northeastern University and taught night school there for five years. In 1984, Oleta was transferred to Oleta Lawanda Crain, date unknown. Courtesy Denver as the Department of Labor’s The Denver Post, 2007 and 2016. regional administrator of the Women’s Bureau, which addressed working Oleta donated her collection of women’s rights in the six Rocky documents and memorabilia from her Mountain states. Oleta retired from military service to the Blair-Caldwell Labor on December 31, 1998, with many African American Research Library in admirers in attendance. In an interview Denver. The Oleta Crain Enrichment after retiring, she said, “I don’t know Academy Community Center in why I retired so young [she was eighty- Denver was named in her honor. The five]—I guess I just got a little tired.” Denver chapter of the Delta Sigma Oleta died in Denver on November Theta Sorority established the Oleta Oleta Lawanda Crain, left, and Department 7, 2007, at the age of ninety-four. Among Lawanda Crain Scholarship in her honor. of Labor Administrator Alexis Herman, circa her awards and honors were the Dr. The scholarship is awarded annually 1998. Courtesy of the Blair-Caldwell African Mary McLeod Bethune Legacy Award to female high school seniors from American Research Library. from the National Council of Negro Oklahoma, Missouri, and Colorado who before she returned to the United Women and a Martin Luther King, plan to study in a Historically Black States, she took a course in international Jr. Humanitarian Award. Kentucky College or University (HBCU). Oleta relations at the University of Vienna. Governor Edward Breathitt conferred on Lawanda Crain’s national and Oklahoma After retiring from the military, her the honor of Kentucky Colonel. In legacies continue. Oleta remained active. She volunteered 1963, she received an Air Force Longevity as a counselor and taught in the Service Award with four bronze oak- Washington, D.C., public school leaf clusters. In 1987, she received a system. During the summer, she Women at Work Award. In 1988, she was attended the School of International inducted into the Colorado Women’s Relations at American University. In Hall of Fame. In 1998, she received the 1964, Oleta retired from the D.C. school U.S. Department of Labor Distinguished system and was hired by the U.S. Career Service Award. 25 35