Intrepid teacher Prudence Crandall named Connecticut’s Female State Hero. Photo Credit: Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame.

There are many courageous teachers who have made great sacrifices for the sake of their students. One of these was Prudence Crandall, a Connecticut teacher who lost everything she owned in order to educate African American girls in a time when doing so was unheard of.

In 1831, Prudence, a Quaker by faith, opened a boarding school for young ladies in Canterbury, Connecticut. By the end of the first year, she had earned the praise of parents, community members, and students throughout New England. Then one day an African American student named Sarah Harris asked to be admitted to the academy. Sarah said she wanted to learn how to be a teacher so she could open her own school for Black students. Prudence knew admitting an African American student would generate some resistance from her neighbors, but after some soul-searching, she decided her conscience and her religious convictions would not allow her to refuse the request. Unfortunately, Prudence had severely under-estimated the resistance she would encounter for this decision.

Figuring the complaint from her detractors was that she was operating an integrated school, the intrepid teacher closed her academy for white girls and re-opened as an academy for “misses of color.” That just made the situation worse. Her action caused ripples all the way up to the US Supreme Court and resulted in Prudence’s brief incarceration in the local jail. After lawless community members set fire to her school, Prudence was forced to close the academy and leave town.

Years later, however, the courageous stance taken by Prudence Crandall resulted in the intrepid teacher being named the Female State Hero for Connecticut. You can read more of the gripping account of what happened with this unflinching educator in my second book, Chalkboard Heroes, now available on amazon.com.

Many dedicated educators work diligently on humanitarian projects to improve conditions for others in their community. One who did this was Rose Sommerfield, a teacher from Baltimore, Maryland, who was an activist and social worker for the Jewish community in her city.

Rose was born into a middle-class German Jewish family in Baltimore in 1874. From 1889 to 1899 she taught in public schools in Baltimore. During those years, Rose became interested in the First Grade Teachers’ Association, and greatly influenced the organization’s policies. In addition, she established the first Mothers’ Meetings held in a Baltimore public school.

Rose was instrumental in the organization of her city’s Daughters of Israel and the Baltimore Section of the Council of Jewish Women. In fact, she was the first secretary of both organizations. She was also involved in a day nursery, the First Jewish Working Girls Club, and the Maccabeans, an association of men who did volunteer work with Jewish boys. In addition, Rose authored many published articles on educational and philanthropic subjects.

In 1899, Rose relocated to New York, where she organized the  vocational course for the Clara de Hirsch Home for Working Girls. She was instrumental in the development of the Home, where she served as Resident Director from 1899 to 1926. In addition to this work, Rose also organized the Clara de Hirsch Home for Immigrant Girls, the Welcome House Settlement house, and the Model Employment Bureau. And, as if all this were not enough, she helped to reorganize the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society and the Virginia, a non-sectarian hotel for working girls.

The indefatigable teacher and activist passed away on August 5, 1952. She was 78 years old. To read more about her, see this article published by Women of America.

Sally W. Morris, a middle school teacher from Redlands, California, who was a tireless volunteer in many areas of her community. Photo credit: Legacy.

Many dedicated educators give so much, not only to their students in the classroom, but also to their communities. One of these is Sally W. Morris, a middle school teacher from Redlands, California, who was a tireless volunteer in many areas of her community.

Sally Wieschendorff was born on April 23, 1939, in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised in Appleton, Wisconsin. In 1949, her family relocated to Los Angeles, California, and they settled in San Marino. In 1957, Sally completed the requirements for her Bachelor’s degree from University of Redlands with a double major in Education and Political Science.

In 1961, Sally married Pat Morris and the couple moved to Stanford. Sally inaugurated her career as an educator in the nearby town of San Carlos. By 1964, the couple returned to San Bernardino County, and Sally accepted a position as a middle school teacher. In addition to her work in the classroom, Sally organized, trained, and supervised volunteers for the Students in the Courthouse program that brought students to the Central Courthouse to learn about our nation’s legal and justice system. She was also instrumental in the founding of the Community Arts Productions, and she served as a docent for the San Bernardino Symphony’s Music in the Schools program. And, as if all this were not enough, Sally served as the President of the University of Redlands Alumni Association.

For many decades, Sally also made significant contributions to her community. She co-founded a nonprofit organization to assure children and youth confined to Juvenile hall would be able to celebrate birthdays, holidays, and graduations. She made weekly deliveries of surplus food from Inland Harvest to feed the hungry at both the Salvation Army and the Frazee Community Center. She also organized a group of volunteers from First Presbyterian Church of San Bernardino to collect, pack, and distribute care packages filled with groceries to needy families in her area. And in 1990, after working with former President Jimmy Carter on a Habitat for Humanity project in Tijuana, Sally co-founded the San Bernardino Area Chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

And all of this only scratches the surface of this remarkable educator’s accomplishments. Sadly, she passed away on June 11, 2021. She was 82 years old. To read more about her, see the obituary published by Legacy.