Gladys Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gladys Wood
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Gladys Wood
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| Born | May 16, 1916 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | August 3, 2017 (aged 101) Milton, Massachusetts, U.S.
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Gladys Sara Wood (born May 16, 1916 – died August 3, 2017) was an important American teacher and school leader. She made history by becoming the first African-American principal in the Boston Public Schools.
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Gladys Wood's Early Life and Education
Gladys Wood was born on May 16, 1916, in the Roxbury area of Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents were Samuel Clarence Wood Sr. and Gertrude Ella Boyd. Her father worked as a porter and carpenter. Her mother was a schoolteacher in Alabama before moving to Massachusetts. Gladys was the third of 13 children in her family.
Gladys went to Julia Ward Howe Elementary School and Lewis Jr. High School. She also attended Roxbury Memorial High School. In 1937, she earned a college degree from the Teachers College of the City of Boston. This college later became Boston State College.
She continued her studies and earned a master's degree in education in 1951. For her master's project, she wrote about how good nutrition helps children who eat lunch at school.
Gladys Wood's Career in Education
Gladys Wood started teaching in junior high schools in Boston in 1947. Ten years later, in 1957, she became a vice principal at the Charles Perkins school. This school was in the Back Bay part of Boston. In 1963, she took on a new role. She became the assistant director for placing teachers in Boston Public Schools.
First African-American Principal
In July 1966, Gladys Wood was chosen to be Boston's first Black principal. She led the Dearborn Elementary school district in Roxbury. This district included the Dearborn, Palmer, and Davis schools. About 1,500 students attended these schools at that time.
After her appointment was announced, Wood spoke to a newspaper. She said she felt it was unfair to be singled out just because she was Black. She believed everyone should be judged by the same standards.
Advocating for Students
Gladys Wood also shared her worries about the school system. She noticed that many teachers left schools in Black neighborhoods. She thought this happened because teachers were not prepared for the challenges they faced. These schools often had less money and fewer resources.
Wood was well-known for speaking up. She fought for more funding and better teachers for her students. Two years after becoming principal at Dearborn, she was offered a job at a junior high school. However, she decided to stay at Dearborn. She felt there were still too many problems to fix there. Later, she also served as principal at the Tileston School in Mattapan and the Chittick School in Hyde Park.
Awards and Recognition
Gladys Wood received several awards for her important work. In 1966, she was honored for her "outstanding service to the ideals of brotherhood." This award came from the National Conference of Christians and Jews. In 1968, she received a Frederick A. Douglass Achievement Award.
Gladys Wood's Personal Life
Gladys Wood lived in different parts of Massachusetts. She lived in Dorchester, Milton, and Quincy. For many years, she lived with two of her sisters. She never married.
