My darling Facebook family starting my Black history month hoping you all will enjoy. Now since I am 3 days behind I will post now and then doing it daily. Feb 1st Ernest E. Hughes Just, biologist receives the Spingarn medal for his pioneering research on fertilization and cell division, 1915 Feb 2nd Brown Girl Herstory: Azie Taylor Morton, the first and only African American to serve as U.S. Treasurer, was born on this date in 1936. Azie Taylor Morton is distinguished as the only African American ever to hold the post of Treasurer of the United States. Appointed by President Jimmy Carter on September 12, 1977, Morton served as the United States 36th Treasurer until January 20, 1981. Along with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Treasurer must sign Federal Reserve notes before they can become legal tender, thus Mortons signature was on U.S. currency for three years. (See photo.) Azie Taylor was born in Dale, Texas, to Fleta Hazel Taylor. She did not know who her father was. Morton was raised by her maternal grandparents, and because there was no high school for African Americans in Dale, she attended high school at a charity-sponsored school for black children in Austin called the Texas Blind, Deaf, and Orphan School. She graduated there at the age of 16 with high grades, and enrolled at Huston-Tillotson, an all-black college in Austin, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in commercial education in 1956. Although she applied to graduate school at the University of Texas, her admission was denied on the grounds that she did not have enough undergraduate courses. Her admission was then denied for the undergraduate courses she needed based on Texas Universitys policy of not allowing African Americans into its undergraduate programs. In spite of this emotional setback, Azie began a fulfilling and successful forty-five year career. Morton spent a short time teaching at a state-supported school for delinquent girls after she graduated from college in 1956. After this, she returned to her alma mater to serve as assistant to the president of the college for a short time. In 1957 she applied and was hired as a staff member for the new Texas AFL-CIO, a major labor union. She later moved to Washington to serve on President John F. Kennedys Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, beginning twenty years of service in the public sector that culminated with her appointment in 1977 as Treasurer of the United States. As Treasurer, Morton was responsible for the receipt and custody of government funds. Morton also served on several important foreign affairs committees during her political career. She was a member of the American Delegation to Rome for the Enthronement of Pope John Paul II, and chair of a People to People Mission to the Soviet Union and China. She was also an Election Observer for the Presidential elections in Haiti, Senegal, and the Dominican Republic, and a representative to the first African/African American Conference held in Africa. At home, Morton served on the Austin Housing Authority Board of Commissioners (HACA) from 1999 to 2001. Consequently, the HACA set up the Azie Taylor Morton Scholarship Fund after her death, donating $5,000 in her name to provide scholarships for low-income students attending Huston-Tillotson College. Through this scholarship Morton will be remembered as a person who worked across racial, religious, and ethnic lines, and loved working with young people. In addition to her political career, Morton was one of the directors for a company called HIV-VAC, a Nevada corporation that conducts HIV research. She also served on the Citizens Fund Board of trustees for ten years, from 1991-2001, including five years as chair. At the time of her death, she was manager of Ram Bookstore, an independent store that served Huston-Tillotson students. She was president of Exeter Capital Asset Management Co., and a member of Schlotzskys Deli board of directors. She had also previously served on the boards of Wendys Old Fashioned Hamburgers, St. Edwards University, the National Democratic Institute, and Austin Childrens Museum. Azie Taylor had married James Homer Morton on May 29, 1965 and they had two daughters. James Homer Morton died in January of 2003. Azie Taylor Morton passed away only months after her husband, on December 7, 2003 from complications of a stroke. Feb 3rdRosa L. Parks, civil rights activist and legend for the Montgomery Bus Boycott was born in Tuskegee, AL on this date in 1913.
Posted on: Tue, 04 Feb 2014 03:40:19 +0000
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