Greenville in Hunt County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Mary Jim Morris
Born near Atlanta, Georgia, in 1876, Mary Jim Morris moved to Greenville, Texas, in 1899 with her family. That summer, Mary received her teaching certificate from the hunt county normal school, locally known as the county teachers institute for colored teachers. Mary started teaching at a time when many African American students were just starting to attend school. Following the Civil War, schools for freed slaves were not open in hunt county until 1881. Mary taught at North School and East Colored School in Greenville, where there were about 300 African Americans enrolled in the schools. She taught at these schools for 45 years.
Mary earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Prairie View A&M College in 1934, which was something of a rarity in Greenville. By 1926, Mary was the assistant principal and teacher for grades five through eight at North School. In 1930 she became principal at Fred Douglass Elementary school. Fred Douglass was previously known as East Side Colored School. Mary remained principal there until her retirement in the late 1940s. Mary pushed her students to succeed and wanted her students in Greenville to achieve a higher graduation rate than any other public school in Texas. While she was involved in education in the Greenville Community and the state of Texas, she was also involved in the local New Hope Baptist Church. She was a Christian missionary at New Hope Baptist for more than 20 years. Mary Jim Morris died November 20, 1973, at her home in Greenville.
Marker is property of the State of Texas
Erected 2014 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 18146.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Education • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is November 20, 1973.
Location. 33° 8.133′ N, 96° 6.297′ W. Marker is in Greenville, Texas, in Hunt County. Marker is on Mill Street east of Bois d'Arc Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2212 Mill Street, Greenville TX 75401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. First Baptist Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Hunt County (approx. 0.3 miles away); Lallie P. Carlisle (approx. 0.3 miles away); 1929 Hunt County Courthouse (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Seven Courthouses of Hunt County (approx. 0.3 miles away); Central Christian Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Kavanaugh Methodist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Benjamin D. Martin (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Greenville.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 4, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 3, 2021, by Jesse Nelsen of Farmersville, Texas. This page has been viewed 225 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 3, 2021, by Jesse Nelsen of Farmersville, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.