Dr. Cora Martin of Texas: Chalkboard champion and founding member of Delta Kappa Gamma

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Dr. Cora Martin of Texas: Chalkboard champion and founding member of Delta Kappa Gamma

I always enjoy sharing stories about amazing educators, and today I get to tell the stories of one of the best: Cora Martin of Austin, Texas.

Cora was born on November 22, 1884, the youngest of the eight children born to Theodore and Elizabeth Merriman. She was raised in Chico, Texas. Shortly after her graduation from high school there, Cora married Francis Martin. The couple settled on a ranch at Martin’s Prairie, but unfortunately Francis passed away early in their marriage. 

The young widow enrolled at North Texas State Normal School in Denton, Texas, where she graduated in 1909. In 1919, Cora earned her Bachelor’s degree, and in 1922, she completed the requirements for her Master’s degree from Teachers College at Columbia University in New York.

Cora inaugurated her teaching career in Monday, Texas. She also taught in Fort Worth and Paducah, Texas. After earning her Master’s degree, she took a job as the supervisor of Bloomsburg Normal School in Pennsylvania, but in 1923 she returned to her native state of Texas. There she accepted a position to teach in the demonstration school established at North Texas State Teachers College. In 1927 Cora enrolled at the University of Texas to work on her Ph.D, which she earned in 1936. At the same time, she served as the Assistant Professor of elementary Education.

While at the University of Texas, Cora worked with Dr. Annie Webb Blanton, the first woman in Texas elected to statewide office. Dr. Blanton served as Texas State Superintendent of Education from 1920 to 1922. At Dr. Blanton’s urging, Cora became one of the founders of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International (DKG), an organization which still endeavors today to promote the professional development of women educators.

Cora Martin suffered from heart disease for several years. In 1964, she collapsed after returning home from the DKG International Convention in San Francisco. She passed away on April 12, 1965. This chalkboard champion is interred in Chico Cemetery in Chico, Texas.

To learn more about this chalkboard champion, visit the Delta Kappa Gamma website at Cora M Martin.