POTTSTOWN — The legacy of the late James Earl Rodgers — who rose from military service to become the borough’s first and only Black police chief and went on to become a community leader in retirement — was put on full display Thursday when Grant Street, where he lived and raised his family, was permanently dedicated to his memory.
The dedication of a borough street is something that “is reserved only for very special individuals,” said Borough Manager Justin Keller. (The only other street in Pottstown to be recently dedicated was a portion of Franklin Street that is named for John and Marlene Armato.)
Rodgers, Keller said, was “respected as a man of integrity, humility and a deep commitment to others.”
Rodgers died on April 9, 2024, in King of Prussia.
Born in Williamston, North Carolina, on Sept. 9, 1934, to the late Violetta Leola (Biggs) and Osborn Rodgers, Rodgers was the oldest of four children.
He relocated to Pottstown with his family in 1947 and graduated from Pottstown High School in 1953. He was named to the school’s Alumni Honor Roll in 2014 after decades of service to the community.
In 1954, he joined the United States Air Force, where he rose to the rank of staff sergeant within the U.S. Air Force Training Command. He later served at bases in New York, New Mexico, Washington, D.C., and Wyoming. During his active military career, which spanned from 1954 to 1958, he was tasked with the training of maintenance and support crews for those assigned to Lockheed U-2 spy planes. He later served in the reserves from 1958 to 1962.
He was Pottstown’s police chief from 1974 to 1991, after serving for five years as a sergeant and one year as the captain of the force.
Rodgers was known for his love of motorcycles and horses and was known to ride around town wearing a cowboy hat.
“When I first saw him, I ran in to tell my mom,” recalled Johnny Corson, president of the Pottstown chapter of the NAACP. “The only time we ever saw horses was watching the Lone Ranger, and here was a Black man riding down my street wearing a cowboy hat. ‘Oh, that’s just the chief,’ my mom said, and from that moment on, that’s what I always called him — the chief,” said Corson, who led the crowd in a brief but spirited chant of “Hail to the Chief.”
As chief, Rodgers “established programs like the Crisis Intervention Service, the Crime Prevention Unit and the police honor guard — initiatives that not only shaped our department but built lasting connections with the people of this community,” said Pottstown Mayor Stephanie Henrick. “Today we name this street in his honor because he did what only the greatest public servants do — he left Pottstown better, safer and stronger than he found it.”
He is credited with updating and utilizing the latest computer technology and police communications system of its time. Himself a recipient of the department’s Medal of Valor award, Rodgers also received recognition from the International Police Chiefs Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Organization of Black Law Executives, the Jewish War Veterans, and a United States Navy recruiting award.
Upon retiring and ending his career in law enforcement, Rodgers established the Interfaith Community Development Corporation. The goal of this organization was to assist low-income families in need with securing affordable housing. This included the building of new housing, the rehabilitation of existing properties, and courses on credit, borrowing, and overall financial literacy. He spent six years with ICDC.
“Public service is not for the faint of heart,” observed Montgomery County Commissioner Jamila Winder. But it’s people like Rodgers who can inspire future generations, Winder said, noting that her son Max started kindergarten this week, “and when he grows up, guess what he wants to be? Not a politician. He wants to be a police officer.”
Winder looked at the seated members of Rodgers’ extended family and added, “Thanks for lending him to us.”
As a county politician, commissioners are asked to attend many events, “but there are some very special few that you are very proud to attend and this is one of those,” said county Commissioner Tom DiBello. He produced a resolution unanimously adopted by the county commissioners, which he presented to Rodgers’ family.
Citations were also presented from the office of U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4th Dist., and state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, R-24th Dist.
Among his many accomplishments, Rodgers was instrumental in the renovation and upgrading of the housing once known as Penn Village into what is now the Bright Hope community, said Pottstown Councilman Andrew Monastra, who credited his fellow Councilwoman Trenita Lindsay with pushing the borough to name the street after Rodgers.
“Jim Rodgers was a patriot and a hero,” said Monastra. “He was one of us. He suffered with us. He celebrated with us.”
“People did not fear” Rodgers, said Pottstown Borough Council President Dan Weand. “But they had the greatest respect for him.”
Rodgers earned that respect during a difficult time for race relations in the United States, the late 1960s and early 1970s, said Corson.
“I can’t imagine what he went through, what he endured, with the racism that was going on in our country, but he pushed through. He stood the course. Because of him standing the course, he created a legacy that allowed other people to dream; he allowed other people to pursue their dream,” Corson said.
“Look at all we have now, how diverse this community is,” said Corson. “And that’s all because of Chief Rodgers stepping up to be the chief.”
