Helen Maria Chesnutt was an African American teacher of Latin. She was also the author of a praiseworthy Latin textbook. Photo credit: Public Domain
Many excellent educators have taught in our nation’s public schools. One of these is Helen Maria Chesnutt, a secondary teacher in Washington, DC, and notable African American.
Helen was born on Dec. 6, 1880, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. When she was still a child, her family relocated to Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated from Central High School there in 1897.
As a young woman, Helen and her sister Ethel enrolled at Smith College, a private women’s liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. The sisters were the first to integrate that college. There she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1902. In 1925 she completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in Latin from Columbia University in New York City.
Once she earned her degree, Helen inaugurated her career as an educator at her alma mater, Central High School in Cleveland, in 1905. She first taught biology and Algebra, and later taught Latin for many years there. In fact, one of her students was celebrated poet Langston Hughes. Her career at Central High continued until 1943.
In addition to her duties in the classroom, Helen co-authored a beginner’s Latin textbook entitled The Road to Latin. The volume was originally published in 1932 to positive reviews, and was republished in 1938, 1945, and 1949.. The book emphasized oral presentation of Latin, intensive rather than extensive reading, and a paraphrase method.
After her retirement, Helen authored a biography of her father titled Charles Waddell Chesnutt: Pioneer of the Color Line in 1952. She was also an active member of the American Philological Association for many years. She was elected to their Executive Committee in 1920.
Sadly, Helen passed away on Aug. 7, 1969. She was 88 years old. In 2018, she was featured in an exhibition at the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, DC. The exhibit celebrated the role of African Americans in classics.
