Odessa Wright Farrell
Odessa Wright Farrell | |
|---|---|
| President of the National Association of University Women | |
| In office 1969–1974 | |
| Preceded by | Portia C. Bullock |
| Succeeded by | Margaret Una Poché |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Odessa Wright October 26, 1908 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | December 9, 2001 (aged 93) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Spouse | Rowan Farrell |
| Occupation | Educator, historian, author |
Odessa Wright Farrell (October 26, 1908 – December 9, 2001) was an American educator, historian, and author who served as president of the National Association of University Women.
Early life and education
Odessa Wright was born on October 26, 1908, in Kansas City, Missouri.[1] She was raised in St. Louis and attended local public schools.[2]
She graduated from the Sumner Normal School and received her State of Missouri teacher certification, and later earned her baccalaureate degree at Stowe Teachers College. She received a master's degree from the University of Iowa and pursued additional graduate studies at the Wharton School of Finance.[3][4]
Career
Wright Farrell started her career as a teacher at Charles Sumner High School in 1932 and worked in St. Louis Public Schools for over forty years.[5] By the late 1960s, she worked in the curriculum division of the St. Louis Board of Education.[6][7] Wright Farrell served as president of the National Association of University Women from 1969 to 1974.[8][6][9] In 1971, she testified before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Employment, Manpower and Poverty regarding extending the Economic Opportunity Act.[10]
She also taught on the weekends at the Carter G. Woodson School for Negro History, and was a proponent of teaching African American history in public schools. She cited Herman Dreer as an early inspiration to her.[2][11] Wright Farrell was credited for her efforts to support inter-district busing and help desegregate the public school system in St. Louis.[12][13]
In 1970, Wright Farrell was appointed by President Richard Nixon as a delegate to the White House Conference on Education.[3][14]
Wright Farrell was an active participant in the NAACP, including serving as education chair,[15] and served as president of the board of the Heritage House Development Corporation.[3]
Later in life, Wright Farrell was an active officer in the Missouri Retired Teachers Association and was state coordinator of the AARP's voter education efforts.[14]
Death
Wright Farrell died in 2001 at the age of 93.[14]
Works
Awards and honors
In 1988, Wright Farrell was named to the Charles Sumner High School Hall of Fame.[15][18]
In 1990, Wright Farrell was named by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education as a Pioneer in Education inductee.[19] In 1995, she was named as a Distinguished Alumni by Harris–Stowe State University.[20]
In 2001, during the Harris–Stowe State University Commencement Convocation Program, Wright Farrell was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.[3]
References
- ^ The World Who's Who of Women. Melrose Press. 1974.
- ^ a b Osby, Cheryl D. (2020). "Herman H. Dreer: A Twentieth Century Black Radical Curriculum Activist". American Educational History Journal.
- ^ a b c d "Commencement Convocation Program". Harris-Stowe State University. 2001. p. 11.
- ^ Iowa Alumni Magazine. UI Alumni Association. 2002.
- ^ Pierce, Rick (February 20, 2000). "Retired St. Louis Teacher was a Pioneer in Teaching of Black History". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- ^ a b "College Women Vow To Continue Fight Against Racism". Washington Afro-American. August 26, 1969. p. 2.
- ^ Public School Finance Study: Final Report. The Department. 1972.
- ^ "Attend National Meeting". The Anson Record. August 29, 1974. p. 9.
- ^ "NAUW History". nauw. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ^ Economic Opportunity Amendments of 1971: May 5, 6, and 11, 1971. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1971.
- ^ McCarther, Shirley Marie (2020-10-01). American Educational History Journal: Volume 47 #1 & 2. IAP. ISBN 978-1-64802-270-8.
- ^ Missouri State Teachers Association Bulletin. Missouri State Teachers Association. 1990.
- ^ Tompkins, Gay Malouf (1991). An historical study of voluntary interdistrict school desegregation in St. Louis County, Missouri: 1980-1986. Saint Louis University.
- ^ a b c Bivens, Matthew S. (2011). "Architectural & Historical Survey Report" (PDF). The Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance.
- ^ a b "The Charles Sumner High Hall of Fame Inductees" (PDF). p. 40.
- ^ Roberts, Anna K. (2016). "Finding their Place in An American City: Perspectives on African Americans and French Creoles in Antebellum St. Louis". College of William & Mary. p. 90.
- ^ Missouri Historical Review. State Historical Society of Missouri. 2018.
- ^ "Sumner High School Hall of Fame" (PDF). St. Louis Public Schools. 2015.
- ^ "Pioneers in Education - Recipients | Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education". dese.mo.gov. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
- ^ "Past Recipient List - Distinguished Alumni" (PDF). Harris–Stowe State University. 2020.