Mary Frances Berry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Frances Berry
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Berry in 2014
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| Chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights | |
| In office 1993–2004 |
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| President | Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Arthur Fletcher |
| Succeeded by | Gerald A. Reynolds |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mary Frances Berry
February 17, 1938 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Citizenship | American |
| Parents | George Ford Frances Berry |
| Residences | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Howard University University of Michigan |
Mary Frances Berry (born February 17, 1938) is an American historian, writer, lawyer, and professor. She is also a well-known activist who has worked hard for civil rights in the United States. Dr. Berry teaches about American legal history at the University of Pennsylvania. She used to be the leader of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, which is a group that works to protect everyone's rights. Before that, she was a top leader at the University of Maryland and the first African American chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Early Life and Education
Mary Frances Berry was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1938. She was the second of three children. For a while, she and her older brother lived in an orphanage because her family faced tough times.
Mary attended schools in Nashville that were separated by race. She graduated with high honors from Pearl High School in 1956. She first went to Fisk University and then transferred to Howard University. At Howard, she earned her first college degree in 1961 and a master's degree in 1962.
She continued her studies at the University of Michigan. In 1966, she earned a Ph.D. in American constitutional history. Later, in 1970, she also earned a law degree (J.D.) from the University of Michigan Law School.
A Career in Leadership
Dr. Berry spent seven years working at the University of Maryland. She became a temporary leader for a group of departments there. In 1976, she became the chancellor of the University of Colorado in Boulder. This made her the first Black woman to lead a major research university.
In 1977, President Jimmy Carter asked her to join his government. She became the assistant secretary for education in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Working for Civil Rights
In 1980, Dr. Berry returned to Howard University as a professor. President Carter also appointed her to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. This commission works to make sure everyone has equal rights. During her time on the commission, she sometimes disagreed with President Ronald Reagan's ideas about civil rights. She even went to court to keep her position when he tried to remove her.
In 1984, Dr. Berry helped start the Free South Africa Movement. This group worked to end apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of unfair racial separation. She was arrested at the South African Embassy in Washington to draw attention to the cause.
In 1987, Dr. Berry became a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She continued to serve on the Civil Rights Commission at the same time.
In 1993, Dr. Berry published a book called The Politics of Parenthood. This book looked at the history of women's rights and child care. That same year, President Bill Clinton made her the chair of the Civil Rights Commission. He appointed her again in 1999.
Dr. Berry also served as the chair of the Pacifica Radio Foundation's National Board from 1997 to 2000. She worked to help the radio stations reach more listeners and a wider audience.
She continued to lead the Civil Rights Commission. In 2001, there was a disagreement about who should be on the commission. Dr. Berry and others on the board stood firm on their views. She left the commission in late 2004 when her term ended.
In 2009, Dr. Berry published her ninth book. It was a history of the Civil Rights Commission.
Awards and Honors
Dr. Mary Frances Berry has received many awards for her important work.
- 1983: Roy Wilkins Civil Rights Award from the NAACP
- 1985: Rosa Parks Award from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
- 1986: Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award
- 1986: Ms. Magazine's Woman of the Year
- 2008: Foremother Award from the National Center for Health Research
- 2014: Roy Rosenzweig Distinguished Service Award from the Organization of American Historians
