Tuesday, the University of Georgia formally named the College of Education in honor the its first African-American graduate, Mary Frances Early.
In addition to the renaming effort, supporters conducted a fundraising effort. Dean Denise Spangler says the money raised will allow Ms. Early’s legacy will be honored in in multiple ways.
“President Morehead and the UGA Foundation made the first gift of $400,000 to endow four Georgia Commitment scholarships for students in education or music education,” Spangler said. “Georgia Power and Southern Company donated $500,000 which will allow us to upgrade the Mary Frances Early Professorship to a distinguished professorship, pending Board of Regents’ approval.
Spangler said nearly 900 donors contributed three million dollars to fund those efforts.
“A portion of the funds raised have been used to permanently endow the Mary Frances Early Scholarship that was started by the graduate and professional scholars. Additional funds raised in this campaign will be used for scholarships for students, who like Ms. Early, are committed to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and to support programming both in the college and the university around these issues so that we never forget our past.”
Mary Frances Early graduated in 1962 from UGA with a master’s degree in Music Education. She later returned to receive a Specialist in Education degree. She was presented with an honorary doctorate from UGA in 2013.
