Cynthia Shepard Perry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cynthia Shepard Perry
10th United States Ambassador to Sierra Leone
In office November 20, 1986 – August 30, 1989
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Arthur Winston Lewis
Succeeded by	Johnny Young
11th United States Ambassador to Burundi
In office February 12, 1990 – February 28, 1993
President	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	James Daniel Phillips
Succeeded by	Bob Krueger
Personal details
Born	Cynthia Helena Norton (1928-11-11)November 11, 1928 Burnett, Indiana, U.S.
Died	June 13, 2024(2024-06-13) (aged 95)
Political party	Republican
Spouses	James Otto Shepard ​ ​ (m. 1946; div. 1971)​ James Olden Perry ​ ​ (m. 1971; his death 2006)​
Children	Donna, Jim, Milo, Paula, Mark, James
Parents	George Norton (father) Flossi Phillipa (mother)
Education	Ed.D. University of Mass.
Alma mater	B.A. Indiana State University
Occupation	Diplomat, Professor, Banker
Known for	Expertise in Africa and education

Cynthia Helena Shepard Perry (born Norton; November 11, 1928 – June 13, 2024) was an important American educator and diplomat. She worked to improve education and relationships between countries. Cynthia Perry served as the U.S. Ambassador to two African nations: Sierra Leone and Burundi. She also helped lead the African Development Bank. Throughout her career, she worked hard to support fairness for all people, cooperation between countries, and economic growth in Africa.

Early Life and Dreams

Cynthia Perry was born on November 11, 1928, in a small mining town called Burnett, Indiana. She grew up in a community near Terre Haute. This community was called Lost Creek. She was one of nine children in her family.

Cynthia was one of the few Black students to graduate from Otter Creek High School in 1946. Her high school principal, who was white, helped her plan how to achieve her dream. Her dream was to become an ambassador.

After high school, Cynthia married James Shepard. He worked as a mechanic. She gained useful skills by working at a bank and for IBM. The couple soon started their family.

Education and African Studies

Cynthia Shepard earned a scholarship to Indiana State University. She completed her bachelor's degree in political science in 1968.

In 1968, she began studying for her doctorate degree in education. She attended the University of Massachusetts' Center for International Education. She finished her degree in 1972. For her doctoral project, Perry wanted to improve race relations. She planned to do this by creating school lessons about African Studies.

She had never been to Africa herself. So, she asked over 30 former Peace Corps volunteers for help. These volunteers had lived and worked in Africa. They used their experiences and new research to create and test the African Studies lessons.

A Career in Diplomacy and Education

After earning her doctorate, Cynthia Shepard Perry worked in different fields. She moved between teaching, consulting, and diplomacy. Her career grew, and she took on more important roles. She became an ambassador twice and worked at an international development bank. She served under three different Republican presidents.

Before her doctoral studies, Perry already had skills in secretarial work, banking, and computers. She gained these skills while going to school and raising her children. While working on her doctorate, she managed 34 former Peace Corps volunteers. She also worked with public schools in Worcester, Massachusetts.

She became the director of the National Teacher Corps at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She also helped her program's graduates find teaching jobs. She supervised those who trained teachers for a desegregation center in Miami.

In 1969, Perry visited Africa for the first time. She went with students from Colby College to Ethiopia and Kenya. This trip was part of a summer training project. It was organized by Operation Crossroads Africa at the University of Nairobi.

In 1973, Perry returned to Africa for three years. Her second husband, Dr. J.O. Perry, worked for UNESCO at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. During this time, she trained Peace Corps medical volunteers. She also lectured at the university. She was a consultant for the United States Information Agency in Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia. In 1974, she joined diplomatic groups visiting Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, and Liberia. In 1976, she joined the staff of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia.

Perry and her husband came back to Texas in 1978. She became the dean of international affairs at Texas Southern University. She held this position until 1982.

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Perry to a new role. She became chief of the Education and Human Resources Division. This was in the Africa Bureau of the United States Agency for International Development. She was in charge of setting policies and creating education programs. These programs were for the 43 Sub-Saharan African nations receiving U.S. help.

In 1986, President Reagan appointed Perry as the U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone. She served in this role until 1990. Then, President George H.W. Bush appointed her as the U.S. Ambassador to Burundi. During this time, Perry also served as an Honorary Counsel General for Senegal.

In 1993, Perry returned to her position at Texas Southern University. In 1996, she moved to Texas Woman’s University as a regent.

In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed her to another important role. She became the U.S. Executive Director of the African Development Bank. This bank was located in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and later in Tunis, Tunisia. She held this job until she retired in 2007. Perry then returned to Houston, where she continued to support education and development in Africa.

In 1998, Perry wrote her life story. It was published as a book called All Things Being Equal: One Woman's Journey.

Awards and Recognition

Cynthia Perry received several awards for her work:

• In 1987, the NAACP gave Perry its President's Award.
• In 1988, the University of Massachusetts gave Perry an honorary doctorate degree. This recognized her public service.
• In 2002, she received a Distinguished Alumni Award.
• In 2014, she received a Salute to Service Award for her great contributions to public service.

Personal Life

In November 1946, Perry married James Shepard. They later divorced in 1971. In the same year, she married James Olden (J.O.) Perry. He passed away in 2006.

Cynthia Perry died on June 13, 2024. She was 95 years old.

External sources

• Perry, Cynthia Shepard, interviewed by Crystal Mikel-Reynolds, Dr. Cynthia Shepard Perry: A Sycamore Destined for Greatness, Indiana State U., 2017; http://www.indstate.edu/edu/sites/default/files/media/student-affairs/images/ambassador-cynthia-shepard-perry-essay.pdf
• Perry, Cynthia Shepard, interviewed by Charles Stuart Kennedy starting March 21, 1999, Interview with Cynthia S. Perry, Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST), Foreign Affairs Oral History Project, copyright 2000, FAOH, accessed March 9, 2019.