Helen Craig Smith
Helen Craig Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Helen Craig May 20, 1927 |
| Died | February 18, 2020 (aged 92) |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher and author |
Helen Craig Smith (May 20, 1927 - February 18, 2020) was an American teacher, genealogist, and author. Smith began teaching in the segregated school system of Perry County, Tennessee, later teaching in Fort Campbell, Kentucky schools. In 1964, Smith became the first Black woman to receive a bachelor's degree from Austin Peay State University, later also earning a master's degree from the same school. In 1965 she became one of the first teachers in the then newly integrated Nashville public schools.[1] She then returned to teaching in Linden, Tennessee, near where her ancestors established the first Black-owned farm in Perry County in 1889, retiring there. Smith authored two books, For Ever The Twain Shall Meet (1997), a semi-autobiographical historical fiction novel, and Numbers: An Abridged Enumeration of the Peoples of Color of Perry County, Tennessee, 1865-2000 (2001), a genealogical history of Black families in Perry County.[2][3]
Works[edit]
- For Ever The Twain Shall Meet (1997)
- Numbers: An Abridged Enumeration of the Peoples of Color of Perry County, Tennessee, 1865-2000 (2001)
References[edit]
- ^ "Helen Craig Smith Obituary". Young Funeral Home. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ Brown, Nicholas (October 4, 2023). "American Dreams". Reuters. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
- ^ "Books by Helen Craig Smith". Goodreads. Retrieved May 16, 2024.