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Jimmie Tyler Brashear
1903 - 1999
Ms. Brashear was born in Lexington, KY and was the daughter of a Lexington schoolteacher and barber. She would later live with an aunt in Madison, WI. According to the Dallas Morning News, Brashear was the only African American in the 1924 graduating class at the University of Wisconsin. In 1929, she joined the Dallas School District with the responsibility of training African American grade school teachers. Brashear would advance to become the first African American school administrator in Dallas. She retired in 1967, after 43 years as an educator, and began teaching at what is now Paul Quinn College. Brashear had taught at Tuskegee and Prairie View earlier in her career. The J. T. Brashear Early Childhood Center was named in her honor, and in 1997, she was recognized as an Outstanding Citizen by the Black Caucus of the Texas Legislature. Brashear was a sister to Lugusta Tyler Colston. For more see J. Simnacher, “Dallas educator Jimmie Tyler Brashear dies – she was first African American hired as schools administrator, “The Dallas Morning News, 2/16/1999, News section, p. 13A; and N. Adams-Wade, “Venerated educator broke ground in Dallas schools, “The Dallas Morning News, 2/16/1997, News section, p39A.