Pearlie Craft Dove facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pearlie Craft Dove
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Pearlie Craft Dove, 1967
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Pearlie Mae Craft
1920 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
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| Died | August 18, 2015 (aged 94–95) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
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| Occupation | Educator, philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Reverend Jackson B. Dove |
| Children | Carol Ann Dove Kotcha (daughter) |
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Pearlie Craft Dove (born Pearlie Mae Craft; 1920 – August 18, 2015) was an amazing African-American educator. She taught at Clark College and made the Education Department much better. Because of her hard work, Clark College became the first private Historically Black College in Georgia to get a special approval from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Later, she helped Clark College join with Atlanta University to create Clark Atlanta University. Pearlie Craft Dove also worked at a high level for important groups like the Association of Teacher Educators (AATE) and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). She helped her community, especially the West End area, through art, education, and keeping history alive. She passed away in 2015 in the same community she served her whole life.
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Growing Up
Pearlie Craft Dove was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1920. Her parents were Lizzie Dyer and Dan Cecile Craft. Her mother moved the family to the West End of Atlanta. This was so Pearlie could grow up in a lively area with lots of social and educational activities.
Pearlie's father, Dan Cecile Craft, was a strong supporter of black pride and business. He taught her these important values. Her grandfather, Caleb "Bud" Dyer, also taught her a lot. He showed her the importance of being disciplined and polite. Even though he only went to school until third grade, he believed that learning was super important. He also taught her about strong Christian values and brought her to church, where she stayed her whole life.
When Pearlie was a child, during a time of segregation, she was excited to start at a local school. But on her first day, she found out it had been burned down. This happened because some white people were angry that the school was for black students. This sad event made Pearlie understand even more how important education and community activism were.
Her Family Life
In the early 1940s, Pearlie married Army chaplain Jackson B. Dove. They had a daughter named Carol Ann Dove. Sadly, Chaplain Jackson B. Dove died in a car crash in 1952.
Her Education Journey
Pearlie Craft Dove finished high school at Booker T. Washington High School (Atlanta, Georgia) in Atlanta in 1937. She then received a scholarship to attend Clark College. She graduated from Clark College in 1941 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She studied both Home Economics and Education.
While at Clark College, she was the Literary Editor for the college's magazine, The Mentor. She was also a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and the Vice President of her senior class. Pearlie graduated with high honors, known as cum laude.
After Clark College, Pearlie went to Atlanta University. She earned her Masters degree in Elementary Education in 1943. Later, in 1959, she received her Doctorate degree from the University of Colorado Boulder. This degree focused on how to supervise and educate teachers. Throughout her life, Pearlie was part of several honor societies, including Pi Lambda Theta, Kappa Delta Epsilon, and Phi Delta Kappa.
Helping Others
Clark College Contributions
A big part of Pearlie's life was dedicated to Clark College, where she had studied. She wrote her doctorate paper about improving the student teaching program at Clark College. She also helped create the Clark College Student Teaching Program.
From 1949 to 1987, Pearlie taught at Clark College. She was also the Director of Student Teaching and the Chairwoman of the Education Department. After she retired in 1987, she helped combine Clark College and Atlanta University. This led to the creation of Clark Atlanta University. She was even named "Professor Emeritus" by the new university in 1993, which means she was honored for her past service.
Pearlie received many awards while working at Clark College. In 1988, after she retired, the "Clark College Curriculum Laboratory" was renamed "The Pearlie Craft Dove Curriculum Resource Center" to honor her.
Big Bethel AME Church
Pearlie Craft Dove loved helping her community, not just through education. She was very active at her church, Big Bethel AME Church. She taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. She also helped write a history of the church, which was published in 1968. It was called "Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church: A Century of Progress and Christian Service."
She received the Lay Fellowship Award from her church in 1987. She also helped with the Historic Preservation Committee and the Scholarship Committee.
Other Ways She Helped
Pearlie also held many other important leadership roles. She was the President of the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta from 1962 to 1963. She also led the Atlanta Pan-Hellenic Council from 1961 to 1966.
She worked as a consultant for the Adult Education Committee of the Phyllis Wheatley Branch of YWCA. She also worked closely with the Association of Student Teachers, serving as Newsletter Editor, Vice President, and President. Pearlie also served on the Georgia Teacher Education Council and other national commissions.
Community Service
Pearlie Craft Dove worked hard to improve her community. She helped restore Washington Park, Atlanta and get it listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She was the Chair of the Social Action Committee for the Washington Park Community Club.
From 1992 to 1996, Pearlie was a Cluster Coordinator for The Atlanta Project. This project was started by President Jimmy Carter to help reduce poverty in Atlanta. During this time, she started a program to help adults learn to read. She also helped create a health station for teenagers at Washington High School. She helped publish books about the community, including a photographic documentary and an oral history.
Pearlie also helped pass laws to make her neighborhood safer. For example, she helped ban large 16-wheeler trucks from driving through residential areas. She also helped get traffic lights installed at a dangerous intersection, something the neighborhood had wanted for thirty years! She also helped publish another oral history project in 1999, sharing stories of people from Atlanta's West Side.
Awards and Recognitions
Pearlie Craft Dove received many honors and awards for her amazing work:
- She was recognized as one of forty black women qualified to serve in government by the American Council on Human Rights (1961).
- Delta Sigma Theta sorority Achievement Award (1960-1963).
- Woman of the Year in Education from Iota Phi Lambda sorority (1962).
- Plaque from the Student National Education Association, Clark College (1970).
- Chairman's Award from The State Committee on the Life and History of Black Georgians (1980).
- Distinguished Member, National Association of Teacher Educators (1983).
- Trailblazer Award from the Atlanta Public Schools System (1988).
- Faithful Service Awards from the Atlanta University National Alumni Association (1989).
- Delta Torch Award from Delta Sigma Theta sorority (1989).
- Featured in Southern Belle's 90-91 Calendar of Atlanta Black History: Black Women Achievers.
- Distinguished Alumni Award from the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) (1992).
- Rosalynn Carter Fellow at Emory University Institute for Women's Studies (1993-1995).
- Golden Glasses Awards Nominee from the Atlanta Regional Commission (1997).
