Albany State University (ASU) President Marion Ross Fedrick delivered the lecture at the University of Georgia’s (UGA) College of Education Naming Ceremony on Feb. 25. The ceremony honored Mary Frances Early, who was UGA’s first African American graduate and a pioneering educator. 

The lecture was the 20^th annual Mary Frances Early lecture taken place at UGA. ““As a fellow educator and UGA alumna, President Fedrick is the ideal choice to honor Mary Frances Early’s life and legacy,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “Her leadership of one of the state’s outstanding HBCUs, as well as her successful tenure as a vice chancellor of the University System of Georgia, demonstrate her accomplishments as a senior administrator and her strong commitment to creating opportunities through access to higher education.”

President Fedrick began with thanking Ms. Early for having the “courage, foresight and love to run into the storm for all of us.” She spoke about what it means to be a superhero, and Ms. Early surely is one. In addition to being UGA’s first African American graduate, she was valedictorian at both her high school and Clark College (Clark Atlanta University), a leader in her 37 years of service in public schools and a role model for many.

“I was honored to receive the invitation to speak at the college of education dedication for Ms. Mary Frances Early. Returning to my alma mater was both sentimental and overwhelming for me. UGA made history in naming the institution after the first African American graduate and I’m proud of their decision to do so. Ms. Early is a trailblazer, who walked the path so that many others could follow in her footsteps and attend UGA. It’s not often you get to meet a superhero of our time,” President Fedrick said.