Rachel B. Noel
Rachel B. Noel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 15, 1918 Hampton, Virginia, USA |
| Died | February 4, 2008 (aged 90) |
| Alma mater | Hampton Institute Fisk University |
| Occupation(s) | Educator, politician, civil rights leader |
Rachel Bassette Noel (January 15, 1918 – February 4, 2008) was an American educator, politician and
She was born in Hampton, Virginia to college-educated parents; her father was a doctor. She earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Hampton Institute and Fisk University, respectively. She and her husband, a physician from Jackson, Mississippi, moved to Denver after he finished his residency.
Personal life
Rachel Bassette was born in 1918 in
In October 1942, she married Dr.
Edmond Noel served as a medical officer in the Army during World War II, from 1942 to April 1946. After he completed his residency, the Noel couple moved to
Together they had a son, Edmond "Buddy" Noel Jr., born in 1946, and daughter, Angela Noel, born in 1950. Buddy graduated from Dartmouth College and Harvard University Law, and practices as a lawyer in Denver.
Rachel Bassette Noel became increasingly active in civil rights and school issues in Denver. (See below).
Her husband Edmond Noel died in 1986. In her last years, Noel moved from Denver to Oakland, California in 2007 to live with her daughter. Noel died on February 4, 2008.[1] She is survived by her two children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Civic life
Noel became active in civic affairs and politics in the 1960s, working to integrate local schools and ensure that minorities had equal opportunities. In 1965, Noel was elected as the first African American to serve on the
She presented what became known as the Noel Resolution to the Board of Education on April 25, 1968, and called for the Denver area school district superintendent to develop a plan for integration, providing equal educational opportunity for all children. Public opposition was high, and Noel and her family received many threatening phone calls and hate mail. The resolution was passed in February 1970.[2][3]
Noel was a professor at
Noel served on the Advisory Board of the
Legacy and honors
- She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree by the University of Denver.
- In 1976 she was appointed by Governor Richard Lamm to serve on the University of Colorado Board of Regents; in 1978 she was elected statewide to a six-year term on the board, and served as chair of the board for one year.
- The Rachel B. Noel Distinguished ProfessorshipLerone Bennett, Jr., executive editor of Ebony (magazine).
- In 1990 she received the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award.
- 1996, Noel was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.[4]
- The Rachel B. Noel middle school in Denver is named in her honor.[6]
See also
References
- ^ "Rachel Basette Noel (Obituary)". University of Colorado. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Rachel Bassette Noel". Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ Woods, Katherine (1998). "Chapter 5: Park Hill, Denver" (PDF). Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development • Office of Policy Development and Research.
- ^ a b c "Black History Month: Rachel B. Noel". This Week @ Mero. Metropolitan State College of Denver. 9 February 2005. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "2011 Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship2011 Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professorship". Metropolitan State College of Denver.
- ^ "Who is Rachel B. Noel?". Rachel B Noel Middle School. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
Further reading
- Summer Marie Cherland, No Prejudice Here: Racism, Resistance, and the Struggle for Equality in Denver, 1947-1994, 2014, UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers and Capstones, 2526
- Robert T. Connery, Keyes v. School District No.1, 2013, History Colorado, Online Exhibits
- Jeanne Varnell, Women of Consequence: The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame, Big Earth Publishing, 1999