Beryl Elizabeth Williams (May 23, 1914 – May 7, 1999) played a leading role in the desegregation of the Baltimore public school system and is considered the mother of continuing education at
Morgan State University, a
historical black college located in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
.
Early life and education
She was born Beryl Elizabeth Warner in
Bangor, Maine
Bangor ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Penobscot County. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's 3rd-largest settlement, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121).
Modern Bangor ...
.
Her father was a
Bangor and Aroostook Railroad
The Bangor and Aroostook Railroad was a United States railroad company that brought rail service to Aroostook County in northern Maine. Brightly-painted BAR boxcars attracted national attention in the 1950s. First-generation diesel locomotives op ...
porter and her mother owned and operated a Bangor boarding house.
In 1935, she became the first African-American to receive a bachelor's degree in
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
from the
University of Maine; she earned her master's degree in mathematics in 1940, and in 1972 she received an honorary doctorate of
pedagogy degree from the same university.
From a very early age, Williams was involved in public service. At the age of seven, she played the piano at church services in jails and mental hospitals. As an adult, she continued her public service by serving on the board of the Park Heights Street Academy.
Career
Williams taught at several southern colleges before moving to Baltimore in 1948 where she began her career at the old Morgan College as a part-time English instructor before becoming a full-time English and Mathematics instructor. She was appointed the first female academic Dean at
Morgan State University, for the Center of Continuing Education, in 1970. She remained in that position until her retirement.
In 1974, Williams was nominated by Mayor Schaefer and unanimously confirmed to the Board of School Commissioners by the Baltimore City Council. She was Vice President of the Baltimore City School Board until 1984.
In 1975, she received a plaque of recognition from the city of Baltimore's Delta Sigma Theta sorority, and the news was featured in ''Jet'' magazine.
The Dr. Beryl W. Williams Scholarship was established to honor Williams, Dean of Continuing Studies at Morgan State University, upon her retirement in 1981. Williams believed that, “continuing education was of great and lasting value to Morgan State University and as the workforce changed there would be a need for people to retool their skills.”
Williams participated in many organizations and committees, including the
United Methodist Church;
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta ...
sorority;
the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
; the Advisory Council on Human Relations for the Maryland State Department of Education; the Adult Education and Association of USA Legislation; the Adult Student Personnel Association; the American Association of University Women; Citizens for Black History; the National Negro Business and Professional Women's Club; the Baltimore Museum of Art; the Peale Museum; the Maryland Association for Adult Education; the
National Council of Negro Women (Baltimore section) and the YWCA: Greater Baltimore Task Force on Racial Justice.
Personal life
Dr. Williams died on May 7, 1999, at the age of 85.
References
External links
Biography of Dr. Beryl Elizabeth Williams
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Beryl Elizabeth
Morgan State University faculty
University of Maine alumni
Politicians from Bangor, Maine
African-American history of Maine
Educators from Maryland
School board members in Maryland
1914 births
1999 deaths
African-American people in Maryland politics
African-American women in politics
African-American school board members
20th-century African-American women
20th-century African-American academics
20th-century American academics
American women academics