Eugene E “Gene” Armstead, Jr. is the current President of the New Jersey Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogy Society (AAHGS-NJ). As a Co-chairperson of the Chapter’s Committee he serves as a member of the National Board of the Directors of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogy Society. He gives presentations encouraging people to research their genealogy and uncover historical events that were omitted from history books.
Gene also worked closely with the Sons and Daughters of the U.S. Middle Passage, helping people to identify their enslaved ancestors. He is working with a committee to obtain funding to research the Special Collections at the Rutgers Alexander Library to bring enslaved ancestors into the light, and with the steering committee of the East Brunswick “Lost Souls Memorial Project’ that wants to acknowledge and immortalize free blacks in the Middlesex, Somerset and Hudson Counties who were improperly and illegally tried and sentenced to being enslaved in the South.
While Gene was employed as the Director of the Rutgers Alumni Relations-New Brunswick, his office provided administrative support to most of the undergraduate alumni associations. This included assisting with the meetings, reunions, other events (with encouragement of black alumni to participate) and intervening administratively to support the initial attempt to establish a black alumni association. Among other positions Gene filled were Assistant to the Executive Director, New Jersey Sports Authority, Financial Accountant, Johnson and Johnson, and Director of Administration, at the Edison Job Corps Academy.
Gene enrolled in Rutgers College in 1969 and was touted to be the tallest and first high school All- American basketball player successfully recruited by Rutgers. In 1972-1973 he was the team captain and in later years was inducted in the Rutgers Basketball Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. From 1973-1975 Gene played for the professional basketball team Mulhouse, France. During a break European basketball schedule, Gene returned to the States to marry his college sweetheart, Douglass College coed, R. Toni Howell. From this union produced one daughter,
Dr. Erin Wright, two sons, Richard and Eugene III, and a grandson Donovan Wright.
Gene maintained ties with Rutgers University for many years post-graduation through the Rutgers Alumni Association, and his contributions were acknowledged by his induction into the Loyal Sons and Daughters of Rutgers. Gene has a long resume of past and current community service including work with youth and special populations needing support, including Vice Chairman of the Franklin Housing Authority Board of Directors, Member of the Franklin Township Rent Leveling Board, Board of Directors- Kids Cafe, Somerset, Administrator, U.S. Census, Trustee, North Princeton Developmental Center, Scout Master, Troop 156, supporter of NJ Orators, and several positions with the North Stelton A.M.E. Church, Piscataway.