Veora Johnson
Veora Johnson | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | November 15, 2001 | (aged 91)
Education | Arizona State University |
Known for | educator and administrator |
Veora Johnson (April 21, 1910- November 15, 2001) was an Arizona educator and humanitarian. She was the first black educational administrator in Arizona.
Biography
Johnson was born on April 21, 1910, in
In 1927, Johnson, a student at Prairie View Normal Institute, was planning on going to California to be an actress.[5] At the time, Mesa superintendent Herman Hendrix was contacting university presidents looking for a young Black teacher to join the district to serve as a role model for the Black students in the classroom.[6][2] At her principal's behest, she instead went to Arizona to teach at the Booker T. Washington Elementary School in Mesa.[1][7] The school was a Black school in a segregated district, with many students not graduating from high school.[6] Johnson had learned to teach high school, so the Mesa school district paid for her to attend night school to learn how to teach elementary grades.[2] Johnson was generous, giving needy students clothing and toiletries, and finding people to make dresses for girls who could not afford them for graduation.[5]
Johnson taught at Booker T. Washington Elementary for seventeen years.[1] In 1945, she became the school's principal.[8] In this position, Johnson was the first Black woman in Arizona to hold administration credentials in education and the first Black principal in Mesa.[1][9] She became the principal of Irving Elementary in 1967.[2] She also served as a curriculum and primary education consultant for the city. Johnson retired in 1974.[10]
Johnson served on seven boards. Two were at the state level. One was by Supreme Court appointment.[3]
Johnson died on November 15, 2001, of stomach cancer.[1][2] She was buried in Navasota, Texas.[4]
Legacy and Honors
On Martin Luther King Day, the Mesa MLK Committee awards the Veora E. Johnson Spirit of Unity awards.[6]
- Golden Soror[3]
- 1953: Mesa's Citizen of the Year[3]
- 1958: Who's Who in Arizona[3]
- 1967: American Association of University Women Woman of the Year[3]
- 1974: World Who's Who of Women[3]
- 1983: The Veora E. Johnson Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona is named in Johnson's honor.[8][1] This was the first time an elementary school had been named for someone from the school district.[4]
- 1985: Arizona State University Medallion of Excellence[1]
- 2004: Arizona Women's Hall of Fame
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Veora E. Johnson". AWHF. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ a b c d e f Connie, C. S. (2001, Dec 25). TEACHER COUNTED STUDENTS AS HER SUCCESS. Arizona Republic.
- ^ a b c d e f g Mesa, ID: 1545 | This file appears in: Segregating. "Miss Veora Johnson". Salt River Stories. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c OBITUARIES: [39]. (2001, Nov 17). Arizona Republic.
- ^ a b Falkenhagen, Andrea (23 June 2007). "Mesa classmates reunite as family: Segregated school's 1940s alumni recall spirit of community". McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Washington.
- ^ a b c SHE MADE A DIFFERENCE FOR ALL CHILDREN MESA EDUCATOR BLAZED TRAILS. (2002, Jan 19). Arizona Republic.
- ISBN 978-0-8165-3300-8.
- ^ a b Ory, Laura (2023-02-01). "Arizona's Black History: Celebrating Education Leaders and Milestones". Education Forward Arizona. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ Clancy, M. (2004, Oct 20). Hall of fame. Arizona Republic.
- ISBN 978-0-7385-4842-5.