Brooklyn's Progress
August 2001

The Brooklyn Children's Museum recently dedicated a section of Brooklyn Avenue "Charles E. Inniss Avenue" in honor of the late Mr. Inniss and his many years of service to the Museum. As part of the ceremony, a street sign with Mr. Inniss' name on it was unveiled for the section of Brooklyn Avenue running adjacent to the Museum between St. Marks Avenue and Park Place. The dedication ceremony, which took place June 24 on the steps of the Brooklyn Children's Museum, included tributes by community leaders and friends to Mr. Inniss, who passed away January 30, 1997. "I benefited greatly from Charlie's counsel," said Robert Catell, chairman and CEO of KeySpan. "He brought our company a depth of experience and that wonderful quality-a rich humanity. Charlie had a passion for our city. He loved its people. His integrity was the highest. His leadership was inspirational. He challenged our thinking. He graced us with his dignity and class." Council member Annette Robinson, one of the sponsors of the bill to rename the street, said, "Charlie was a great man and his spirit and his legacy will always be present for those who go up and down Brooklyn Avenue. As we name Charles Inniss Avenue today, his memory and spirit will continue to linger on in the annals of the history of New York." Carol Enseki, president of the Brooklyn Children's Museum said the dedication ceremony was a celebration of the life and work of Mr. Inniss, who served as a Museum trustee for more than 16 years and as chairman from 1989 to 1993. "Charles Inniss was a great man," Ms. Enseki said. "One who put children and community before all else, and led his life accordingly. Children may say to you, 'Who was Charles E. Inniss?' We can all say, a great man-one who inspired us to do more to enrich the lives of children. His work lives on, and you can see and feel it at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, and at many places across our city." Other dignitaries taking part in the ceremony included: Marjorie Thomas-Inniss, Brooklyn Children's Museum Trustee and Mr. Inniss' widow; Paul Gangsei, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Brooklyn Children's Museum; Albert Wiltshire, chairman of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp.; Charles Palms, secretary of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corp.; Jeannette Gadson, special assistant to the Brooklyn Borough President; State Sen. Marty Markowitz, and Assemblyman Albert Vann. Children from the Stuyvesant Junior Chorus performed and children who received the Charles Evans Inniss Award for Community Service and Academic Achievement were recognized. In recognition of Mr. Inniss' dedication to children, the Brooklyn Children's Museum established the Charles E. Inniss Fund for the Children of Brooklyn. Each year, the Museum presents a special program in his honor to educate, encourage, and celebrate young people. In addition to his work with the Brooklyn Children's Museum, Mr. Inniss was co-founder of Career Opportunities for Brooklyn Youth, Inc. (COBY) and a Trustee of the City University of New York where he was instrumental in providing college scholarships and job opportunities for many young people. He served on many boards including the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, Brooklyn Arts Council, Marcus Garvey Nursing Home, Studio Museum in Harlem, and Staten Island Zoological Society. Mr. Inniss retired as a vice president of Brooklyn Union Gas, now KeySpan Energy. Before joining Brooklyn Union in 1979, Mr. Inniss served as director of public information and development at the Brooklyn Public Library, administrator at Brooklyn Model Cities, director of area development at the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, executive director of the Studio Museum in Harlem, and assistant district service manager at Dun and Bradstreet, Inc. He received his MS and MPA degrees from New York University.