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James "Choppy" Saunders may be known as a quiet man, but his actions during the years spoke loudly for Middletown, leading the city through times of racial strife.

So say many people who have worked with Saunders over the years in his roles with the city, Armco Steel and Middfest International, among others. Saunders — known by many friends and colleagues as a man with an easygoing manner but a hard-hitting impact — will be honored by Middfest at a dinner Saturday, April 26, at the Manchester Inn.

"He is a classy gentleman. We worked on stuff at Middfest, and I met him when he was a city commissioner. He was always willing to pitch in and help, and he was certainly a great individual for the city of Middletown. He maintained a classy demeanor." — Sam Ashworth, fellow Middfest volunteer

"He had a lot of bad experiences, but he did not hold grudges against anybody. He was a very fine public servant. He was also a great golfer and probably still is. He kept trying to help me improve. It didn't work too well, but he never gave up on me." — Bettie Arthur, former clerk for the city of Middletown.

"He only had one interest, and that was what was right for Middletown. What motivated him was trying to do his best for his hometown. He tried to ease racial tensions in the early '70s and late '60s, which was a difficult time for racial conditions. He was trying to walk a middle path, and that was why he was so effective — not by pushing and shouting, but working within the system." — Dale Helsel, former Middletown City Manager, whose tenure roughly coincided with Saunders' time on the city commission, from the early 1970s to the mid-'80s.

"Choppy is one of the nicest human beings I have ever known. He's a very quiet force in the community and at Middfest ... He appreciates everybody, and he thanks people for what they do. He truly admires people for their contribution. He's been a good spokesman for us and for people in government and in the city." — Virginia Ritan, executive director of Middfest, where Saunders was president of the board.

"When I first met Choppy in 1963, he was a salaried foreman. They were getting ready to integrate the shops (at Armco Steel), and they called Choppy in there. ... They asked Choppy to be a mentor to me because I was the first African-American in any skilled labor job at any plant in Armco. He knew there would be problems, but he told me, 'It's simple. You go to work on time. You give them a good eight hours. You go home, spend time with your family. You get a good night's sleep. You get to work on time. You give them a good eight hours ...' He kept repeating that. He said, 'Things are not going to go your way all the time, but you've got to think of yourself as (pioneering baseball player) Jackie Robinson.' " — Gene Snow, colleague at Armco Steel.

"The most impressive thing to me was all the people coming together. At that time (in the 1960s) if there was a problem, he worked quietly behind the scenes. If you do the work for publicity, you haven't done anything. He was a man of his word, and he could be trusted." — Marva Sampson, fellow member of the Citizens Council on Human Relations.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.

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