Homer Chavis, 1983.
In 1920, when he was twenty years old, Mr. Chavis came to Champaign from his home in Danville and opened Royal Cleaners which was in 1983 the only Black-owned business in campustown. In order to establish the business, his wife recalls, "He rode on a bicycle and knocked on people's doors. Business just doesn't fly into your hand." A respected member of the community, he was for many years active in campus business organizations. His wife was Gertrude Chavis, who was herself an active business woman.
