Description
Gladys Meriwether Jordan, pioneer educator and first
African American woman to teach at the Emeryville High School, was born November 16, 1910 in Boynton, Oklahoma. The Gladys Jordan papers include
teaching notes, lesson plans, school study aids, bibliographies, class handouts, brochures, attendance bulletins, and ephemera
related to Jordan's work providing
African American history content for primary and secondary education.
Background
Gladys Meriwether Jordan, pioneer educator and first
African
American woman to teach at the Emeryville High School, was born November 16, 1910 in Boynton, Oklahoma. Her father A.L.J. Meriwether
was a lawyer and surveyor. Jordan's mother, Susie Brown Meriwether, part Muscogee and a native of Oklahoma, was a teacher
and land owner due to the federal recognition of the Muscogee Creek Nation. The family lost much of their money during the
Depression while Jordan was studying at Spelman College in Atlanta. She returned to Oklahoma and received a teaching credential
to support her family. Jordan finished her studies at Langston University in Oklahoma, then the only college in Oklahoma that
admitted
African
American students, receiving her degree in 1941.
Extent
.25 linear feet (1 box)
Restrictions
Permission to publish from the Gladys Jordan Papers must be obtained from the African American Museum & Library at Oakland.
Availability
No access restrictions. Collection is open to the public.