KALAMAZOO, Mich.—"Loving husband, father, Tuskegee Airman." The words inscribed on Dr. Hackley Woodford's grave cover just a fraction of the immense impact the Western Michigan University alumnus had on thousands of lives in Southwest Michigan and beyond. Dr. Hackley Woodford Born in Kalamazoo in 1914, he spent his childhood performing as a soloist and violinist with his family's band, The Woodford Family Musical, at churches around town. While he was musically gifted, Woodford knew medicine was his calling at a young age. After graduating from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1932, he enrolled at Western State Teachers College—now WMU. "I received a good foundation in chemistry, biology and psychology, which helped later in my medical career," Woodford said when he was given a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1991. During his time at Western, Woodford helped bring Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity to campus and was the first chapter president. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1936 and went on to earn a medical degree from Howard University four years later.