Annie Moore Cherry (September 21, 1891, – February 1, 1976) was an American professor, author, and playwright. She had multiple roles in education and put together a play for Halifax County schools in 1921, titled ''The Spirit of The Roanoke - A Pageant of Halifax County History''

Early life

Cherry was born in Martin County to William Rodney and Elizabeth Eleanor Moore Cherry, spending most of her childhood in Hobgood and Scotland Neck. She graduated from

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG or UNC Greensboro) is a public research university in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. It is accredited by the Southern Association of College ...

, when it was known as the State Normal and Industrial School in 1912. Cherry was a member of

Delta Kappa Gamma Delta Kappa Gamma () is an international professional society for women educators. It was established in 1929 at the University of Texas at Austin. History Delta Kappa Gamma was founded on May 11, 1929, at the Faculty Women’s Club at the Unive ...

which is an honor society for women educators. In 1927, she earned a master of arts degree in education from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, where she later completed graduate work along with the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

and

Duke University Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...

Career

Teaching

Cherry started teaching in

Dunn, North Carolina Dunn is the most populous city of Harnett County, North Carolina, Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,446 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is, along with Harnett County, part of the Anderson Creek ...

and stayed there for four years. She was briefly the rural elementary school supervisor in Harnett County. From 1918 to 1933, Cherry was a rural elementary school supervisor in Halifax County, with her being the first person to have that role full-time. In 1947, she was one of only six women presidents of North Carolina Education Association, with her being the third one. Later, she was a researcher with the

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) oversees the public school system in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The DPI is headed by the State Superintendent and the North Carolina State Board of Education. It is headquarte ...

and an education professor at

Flora MacDonald College Flora MacDonald College was a women's college in Red Springs, Robeson County, North Carolina. It was founded in 1896 by Dr. Charles Graves Vardell as the Red Springs Seminary, renamed Southern Presbyterian College and Conservatory of Music in 1 ...

. Cherry taught summer school at

Western Carolina University Western Carolina University (WCU) is a public university in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the University of North Carolina system. The fifth oldest institution of the sixteen four-year universities in the UNC system, WCU ...

, the

, and the

University of North Carolina at Greensboro The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG or UNC Greensboro) is a public research university in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina, University of North Carolina system. It is accredited by the S ...

Writing

While she was the rural school supervisor of Halifax County, Cherry planned a play that included multiple school groups. Each group was assigned the task of finding costumes for the pageant and learning about their past in Halifax County. The pageant, titled ''The Spirit of The Roanoke - A Pageant of Halifax County History'', was performed in Weldon on May 6, 1921. Cherry wrote an article about the pageant in the Scotland Neck newspaper ''The Commonwealth''. She wrote many bulletins about school supervision.

Personal life

Cherry died on February 1, 1976, at 84 years old. Her funeral service was held at Enfield United Methodist Church. She was buried at Trinity Episcopal Church Cemetery, located in Scotland Neck.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cherry, Annie Moore 1891 births 1976 deaths American women dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American women academics 20th-century American academics