Seven civic-minded professionals announced as the 2017 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History include scientists, a judge, a news anchor and a state lawmaker.

The honorees will be recognized at a ceremony Wednesday, Feb. 1, sponsored by the Library of Virginia and Dominion Resources.

The program honors men and women who have persevered through struggles and challenges to achieve and have an impact on the community.

This year’s Strong Men & Women in Virginia History honorees are:

Capt. William E. “Bill” Bailey of Accomack is a retired Army aviation officer. Recently inducted into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame, Capt. Bailey has 50 years of aviation experience. He served in the Army for 20 years, flying helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in Vietnam. Among the numerous medals he earned are three Bronze Stars, including one for valor, two Distinguished Flying Crosses and three Purple Hearts. After retiring from the military, he worked as a commercial airline pilot for 20 years, recruiting and training about 200 African-American pilots. He currently lives in Stafford County.

The late Charles Spurgeon Johnson of Bristol was a sociologist, author and expert on race relations. A Virginia Union University alumnus, he was the first African-American to serve as president of Fisk University from 1946 to 1956. Prior to accepting a teaching position at Fisk in 1928, he served as research director for the National Urban League. He also served on a commission for the League of Nations. He died in October 1956.

The late Benjamin J. Lambert III of Richmond, also a VUU alumnus, was an optometrist who served in the Virginia House of Delegates and, later, the Virginia Senate for nearly three decades. He served on numerous boards and commissions, including the VUU Board of Visitors, the Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems Authority and Dominion Resources. He received numerous awards for his civic activities, which also paved the way for others by his success in many roles, such as becoming the first African-American male to represent Virginia on the Democratic National Committee.

Judge Mary Bennett Malveaux of Richmond is the second African-American in state history to serve on the 11-member Virginia Court of Appeals. Prior to her appointment to the appeals court in April 2016, she served for five years on the Henrico General District Court. She has experience both as a defense lawyer and a prosecutor.

Leonard “Doc” Muse of Arlington has owned and operated Green Valley Pharmacy, now identified as a national landmark, for 65 years. A World War II veteran, and Howard University alumnus, he purchased a vacant grocery store to serve African-Americans in the community. At a time when white-owned store clerks insisted that African-Americans use an entrance at the back of their stores, Dr. Muse offered a dignified alternative.

The late Stephanie T. Rochon-Moten of Richmond was well known for her work as a local television news anchor and advocate of breast cancer awareness. Inducted into the National Women of Achievement Hall of Fame in 2000, Mrs. Rochon-Moten also received the American Cancer Society’s Regional Media Award for her Buddy Check 6 news reports. She died in June 2015.

Dr. Margaret Ellen Mayo Tolbert of Suffolk is a biochemist, author and advocate of increasing the number of African-Americans in STEM fields and programs. She is a retired senior adviser at the National Science Foundation. She has authored several publications addressing diversity needs in the STEM professions. She served as a chemistry professor and director of the Carver Research Foundation at Tuskegee University from 1979 to 1988. She also was the director of the Division of Educational Programs at Argonne National Laboratory from 1994 to 1996.

Also to be recognized at the celebration are winners of the high school writing contest held in conjunction with the Strong Men & Women program.

The 2017 student winners: Grace Lu, a sophomore at Douglas Freeman High School in Henrico County; Indya Gipson, a junior at Nansemond River High School in Suffolk; Meenakshi Balan, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County; and Hunter Davis, a senior at Gate City High School in Scott County.

Each student winner receives a MacBook Air computer and a $1,000 prize.