Today In Black History: Dr. Willa Beatrice Player
The first African American woman to become president of an accredited four-year college
Issue #830 Today In Black History, Wednesday, March 26, 2025
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Dr. Willa Beatrice Player was born in Jackson, Mississippi, on August 9, 1909. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1930 and later obtained her Master's degree in education from Oberlin College in 1933.
After teaching at Bennett for a few years, Player took a leave of absence for postgraduate studies. She studied at the University of Grenoble in France and received a Certificat d'Études in 1935.
In 1948, she earned a Doctorate in Education from Columbia University.
Willa Beatrice Player's professional journey began at Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina, an institution dedicated to the education and empowerment of African American women. She joined the faculty as a professor of education and psychology in 1930 and ascended the academic ranks through her dedication and leadership capabilities.
In 1955, Dr. Player broke new ground when she was appointed president of Bennett College, making history as the first African American woman to hold such a position at an accredited four-year institution. Her tenure as president was marked by her unwavering commitment to academic excellence, social justice, and the empowerment of young African American women.
During her presidency, Dr. Player championed innovative educational programs, strengthened the college's academic offerings, and emphasized the importance of a liberal arts education. Her leadership extended beyond the confines of academia, as she advocated for civil rights and social change during a turbulent era in American history.
Dr. Player encouraged Bennett College women to act their beliefs for civil rights and activism. Initially unaware that Bennett students were planning civil rights protests after Dr. Martin Luther King, Rev. Howard Thurman, and Dr. Benjamin E. Mays had spoken at the college, Player encouraged them to participate in sit-ins in February 1950 to achieve integration of lunch counters. She held meetings with faculty and staff during the Greensboro actions sit-ins to educate them and arranged to support students in jail by delivering their assignments so they would not fall behind.
In 1962, Dr. Player was named President of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the Methodist Church, the first woman to hold the position. She was the first African American to serve on the board of trustees of Ohio Wesleyan. After 36 years of service to Bennett College, Dr. Player stepped down as president in 1966.
That year, President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration appointed her the first female Director of the Division of College Support in the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, a position she held until retiring in 1986.
Dr. Willa Beatrice Player never married, retired in 1986, and moved to Akron to live out her later years. She died on August 29, 2003, in Greensboro and was buried in Glendale Cemetery in Akron, near her family.
Today In Black History
In 1863, during the Civil War, West Virginia approved the gradual emancipation of slaves.
In 1872, Black inventor Thomas J. Martin was awarded a pipe and valve fire extinguisher system patent.
In 1910, William Henry Lewis was appointed U.S. Assistant Attorney General by President Howard Taft, becoming the first Black person appointed to a sub-Cabinet position.
In 1937, William H. Hastie was confirmed as judge of the Federal District Court in the U.S. Virgin Islands, becoming the first Black federal judge.
In 1952, the eight-year Mau Mau uprising against colonial rule in Kenya helped hasten the country's independence in 1963.
In 1991, Rev. Emmanuel Cleaver became Kansas City, Missouri's first African American mayor.
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