Bazoline Estelle Usher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bazoline Estelle Usher
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Portrait by Judith Sedwick, 1982
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Basil Estelle Usher
December 26, 1885 Walnut Grove, Georgia, U.S.
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| Died | February 8, 1992 (aged 106) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
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| Burial place | South-View Cemetery, Atlanta |
| Occupation | Educator |
| Years active | 1906–1958 |
Bazoline Estelle Usher (December 26, 1885 – February 8, 1992) was an important American educator. She is well-known for her work in the Atlanta Public Schools. Before schools were integrated, she was the director of education for African-American children in the district. She was the first African American to have an office at Atlanta City Hall.
In 1943, she started the first Girl Scout troop for African-American girls in Atlanta. Bazoline Usher taught for over 50 years. More than 40 of those years were spent in Atlanta schools. A school in Atlanta is named after her. In 2014, she was honored as a Georgia Woman of Achievement.
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Who Was Bazoline Usher?
Bazoline Estelle Usher was born on December 26, 1885. Her birth name was Basil Estelle Usher. She was born in Walnut Grove, Georgia. She was the oldest of four children. Her mother named her Basil after the herb used in cooking. But before college, she changed her name to Bazoline. She felt Basil sounded too much like a boy's name.
How Did Bazoline Usher Get Her Education?
Usher started school at age four at her local Baptist church. In 1892, her family moved to Oxford, Georgia. She continued her schooling at another Baptist church. This school had two teachers and two rooms.
In 1894, her family moved again to Covington, Georgia. They moved so the children could go to better schools. Here, Usher attended a school run by Dinah Watts Pace. She earned good grades. She was recommended for high school courses at Atlanta University.
Usher attended Atlanta University from 1899 to 1906. She first went to the preparatory school. Then she attended the university itself. She graduated second in her class. She was known as a "brilliant student." She also took classes at the University of Chicago. She earned her master's degree from Atlanta University in 1937.
When she was 13, Usher tutored other students in math. She was the only woman in her class at Atlanta University. One of her favorite teachers was W. E. B. Du Bois. Usher also helped out in the Du Bois household on Saturdays. She became close with Du Bois and his wife, Nina. Du Bois photographed her for a project. This project was for The Exhibit of American Negroes at the Paris Exposition of 1900.
Bazoline Usher's Career as an Educator
After graduating, Usher could not find a teaching job in Atlanta. So, she taught math and science in Virginia. She worked at the American Missionary Association High School from 1906 to 1911.
Usher returned to Atlanta in 1915. She began teaching seventh grade in the Atlanta schools. In 1917, she became the principal of Wesley Avenue School. She stayed there for five years. Usher then moved to Booker T. Washington High School. She became the first assistant principal at that school.
In 1929, she transferred to David T. Howard Grammar School. She served as principal there for 14 years. This was the first Atlanta black school with an all-African-American teaching staff.
Starting Girl Scout Troops
In 1943, Bazoline Usher started Girl Scout troops for African-American girls in Atlanta. These were some of the first such troops in the Southern United States. In 1952, she was elected to the board of the Atlanta Girl Scout organization. "Miss Usher loved the Girl Scouts." She remained a member of the organization until she died.
Becoming a School Leader
In 1944, Usher was named Director and Supervisor of Negro Schools. This was for the Atlanta School System. It was the highest position an African American had ever held in Atlanta schools. She was also the first African American to have an office at Atlanta City Hall.
She was proud that she helped integrate the elevator at city hall. She would ride the first elevator that arrived. She did not wait for the elevator meant for "blacks and baggage." She held her director role until she retired from Atlanta schools in 1954. She was supposed to retire in 1952 at age 67. But she was asked to stay for two more years.
During summer breaks, she worked as a consultant. She also taught at Atlanta University. She taught at Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina. She also taught at Fort Valley State College. For three years after her official retirement, she taught at Spelman College.
Bazoline Usher's Personal Life
Bazoline Usher was a very talented seamstress. She said, "I was a star in my sewing class." She continued sewing whenever she could, even when she was older. She sometimes played basketball. She was also the city's women's tennis champion twice. She enjoyed watching professional sports like baseball, basketball, and football.
Usher was a member of Atlanta's historic Friendship Baptist Church for 89 years. She taught Sunday school to young members. One of her students was Maynard Jackson, who later became mayor of Atlanta. She sometimes played the organ for the church. She was also an original member of the church's Uplifters Club. She was a member of the Kappa Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
During her early career, women teachers were expected to stay single. Because of this, Usher never married. She later expressed some regret about this. However, she became a mother by adopting her niece. Her niece, Lavada Usher Johnson Smith, came to live with her in 1933. This happened after Lavada's mother passed away.
Usher lived longer than all three of her younger siblings. Later in her life, she lived with her niece. Her niece also became a teacher. Then, Usher moved to a nursing home. She passed away on February 8, 1992, at 106 years old. She was buried in South-View Cemetery in Atlanta.
Honors and Recognition
Bazoline Usher received many honors throughout her life:
- In 1946, she was named Bronze Woman of the Year. This award was given by the Iota Phi Lambda sorority.
- In 1950, she became an honorary member of the Phi Delta Kappa National Teacher's Sorority.
- In 1953, she received a "scroll of honor." This was from the Georgia Teachers and Education Association and Fort Valley State College.
- In 1966, Atlanta University gave her a special award. It was for the 60th anniversary of her graduation.
- In 1988, Harwell Road Elementary School was renamed the Bazoline E. Usher Middle School. This was done to honor her.
- In 1989, the Atlanta Girl Scout Council honored her. They recognized her for a "century of service to others."
- In 2014, she was inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement hall of fame.
