Fred Stroble's remarkable fifty-plus year career in law enforcement serves as an inspiration and leaves behind an enduring legacy.
Prior to his law enforcement career, Stroble attended Archer Elementary and Burke High School before joining the United States Navy. He graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Burglary School in Columbia, SC and continued to pursue education in numerous other law enforcement schools including FBI Fingerprint School in Atlanta, GA; the U.S. Marshal Academy in Washington, DC; and others.
Fred Stroble joined the City Police Department in 1962 as a patrolman, one of just three African American officers on the Charleston police force. Black officers at the time were not allowed to drive patrol cars, so Stroble walked his beat, and the citizens he served and protected brought him coffee on cold days. By 1963, black officers were allowed to drive cruisers, and the next year Stroble was the first black officer to be assigned as a motorcycle officer.
In 1969, he was promoted to the rank of detective and subsequently named the first black deputy sheriff for Charleston County. Despite the challenges he faced, Stroble persevered and rose through the ranks, eventually being appointed deputy United States Marshal in 1972, the third black deputy appointed in South Carolina and the first black deputy from the City of Charleston to hold the rank. In fact, Stroble remains the longest-serving deputy United States Marshal in the State's history, serving from 1972 until his retirement in 1995. Stroble also served the United States District Court, and throughout his career, he served on special assignments in every state in the United States. Stroble was assigned to the Watergate trial and was also one of four hundred U.S. Marshals sent to Boston, Massachusetts during school desegregation.
Over nearly half a century of service, Stroble, quiet and matter-of-fact, gained the admiration of judges and other court officials, and was known for his commitment to his community. He received numerous awards, including the Carter G. Woodson Award for Outstanding Community Person by the Association for Study of African American Life and History, the Phillip Randolph Award for Outstanding Lawman, several United States Attorney General Awards for Special Achievement, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement, and letters from U.S. Senators Strom Thurmond and Ernest "Fritz" Hollings for his years of service. Fred Stroble also served on the boards at Jenkins Orphanage and the Charleston Southern University's Department of Criminal Justice. Fittingly, the South Carolina Senate passed a resolution commending Stroble for his decades of service in 2017.
His courage, perseverance and dedication continue to inspire all who learn of his story. To preserve Stroble's legacy, the Fred Stroble Foundation was established. Through community service initiatives, youth mentoring programs, and scholarships, the foundation aims to provide opportunities for African American and all youth to honor Stroble's groundbreaking career and carry on his spirit of excellence in law enforcement. Fred Stroble's steadfast commitment to justice and community remains an example for all.
