University Of Georgia To Honor First Black Graduate
via redandblack:
The University of Georgia will honor the achievements of Mary Frances Early, the first African-American woman to earn a degree from UGA. According to a report by UGA Today, President Jere W. Morehead announced the university will unveil a portrait of Early during a ceremony on Oct. 10. The portrait is a continuation of a series celebrating her accomplishments.
“Mary Frances Early has been a source of inspiration for generations of students across the state of Georgia and beyond,” Morehead said in the press release. “Her portrait will serve as a lasting tribute to her dignified courage and her commitment to educational excellence.”
Early, a native of Atlanta, transferred to UGA from the University of Michigan in the summer of 1961. She graduated Aug. 16, 1962, with a master’s degree in music education. She returned to UGA in 1964 and earned a specialist in education degree in 1967.
After graduating, Early went on to become the director of music for Atlanta Public Schools and the first African-American president of the Georgia Music Educators Association in 1981.
Early also taught at Morehouse College and Spelman College and served at Clark Atlanta University as head of the music department. She retired in 1994 after working in public schools for 37 years.
Her portrait was created by artist Richard Wilson and will be on display in The Gordon Jones Gallery of the UGA Administration Building. Early also received the President’s Medal from UGA in January, and the documentary “Mary Frances Early: The Quiet Trailblazer” will premiere in Atlanta on Sept. 11.
