|
  Over 100 family and friends celebrated the 90th Birthday of retired local educator, Doris Kelly on Saturday, July 21st at the Chattanoogan from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Doris Kelly has left a track record of selfless dedication at just about all levels of the educational system in not only the city, but also throughout the region and state. This beloved, semi-retired educator’s influence on several generations of students in the Chattanooga area has been nothing short of profound.
During the course of her career, she enriched the lives of generations of young people in the Chattanooga area through her love for her students and dedication to teaching. She dedicated herself to her personal mission of helping students achieve their educational goals, encouraging them to work to their fullest potential and challenging them to give back to their community.
Born and reared in Chattanooga, Mrs. Kelly attended the public schools and graduated from then segregated Howard High School. After high school, Mrs. Kelly received her B.S. from Agricultural and Industrial State Teachers College in Nashville, now called Tennessee State University.
Mrs. Kelly’s career in education began in 1947 as a registrar at Howard High. During her 13 years as registrar, she received her M.A. from A & I State Teachers College and did further study at several other institutions. As an educator, she also taught business math and later vocational office education (typing and shorthand). When integration began at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, it started in the Mail Room. She was selected to work directly with then vice president James McGuff in supplying qualified applicants. Many of her students started their work careers at BCBST.
In 1970 she was selected as Teacher of the Year in the Chattanooga Public School System and went on to become one of five state finalists. She received appreciation and congratulatory letters from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Vice President James R. McGuff, then U.S. Senator Albert Gore, Sr., Tennessee Education Commissioner J.H. Warf, and then Chattanooga Mayor A.L. Bender.
Mrs. Kelly was selected as the second African-American president of the Chattanooga Education Association. She went on to serve as field representative of the Tennessee Education Association. In this capacity, she covered a 10-county area in lower east Tennessee lobbying at the state level for teachers.
In 2006 she was honored by BlueCross and BlueShield of Tennessee during its 7th Annual Black History Month celebration. The celebration included a public window display designed to recognize the contributions of African Americans in education. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Mack Kelly, 423-762-2199 or 423-762-2199 |
