Dr. John W. Culbreath, who made history as the first African American superintendent of the Dougherty County School System and served from 1995 to 2001, died Tuesday, Aug. 5, at the age of 77.

Current DCSS Superintendent Kenneth Dyer  released a statement Tuesday night after learning of Culbreath’s passing calling him “a tireless advocate for education… a steadfast champion for children… generations of students and educators were uplifted by Dr. Culbreath’s leadership.”

During his tenure, Dr. Culbreath led the district through recovery from the 1994 flood, overseeing the rebuilding of multiple schools and modernizing the system’s academic and technological capacities.

Dr. Carolyn Hand, who served as HR director under his leadership and now represents District 1 on the Board of Education, described him as “so down to earth, and unassuming,” and added, “he cared about these kids. He really did.”

“He was a good man,” Hand recalled, recounting his deeply held belief that all children could learn and succeed. “He cared deeply for the students, the employees and our community.”

Hand, who first met Culbreath at a conference in Brunswick, offered a personal account of how Dr. Culbreath’s path to superintendent began:

“Robert Cross came to me and said that they were looking for a superintendent and wanted to know if I had come across any prospects,” Hand said. “Dr. Culbreath immediately came to mind and so I called him up. He applied and the board ultimately voted to hire him.” 

During and after his superintendency, Dr. Culbreath extended his service across the region—serving on civic boards including the Phoebe Putney Health System, working with Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity to mentor middle school boys, and contributing to poverty-alleviation efforts like Strive2Thrive.

In 1995, he became the first Black superintendent in Dougherty County—a milestone noted both by Dr. Culbreath and local historians:

 “I was extremely proud to be the first Black superintendent… but also felt a tremendous responsibility to all of the children not to let them down” Culbreath said in an interview with WFXL. 

He oversaw the construction of three new schools and renovation of older facilities damaged or lost to the flood, raising the academic bar and expanding technology in the district.

Dr. Culbreath retired from the superintendent position in 2001 but did anything but slow down. He took up various servant leadership roles across the community, never straying far from his advocacy for the youth of Southwest Georgia.

And while his accomplishments as an educator, administrator and public servant are immense, it was his caring spirit and compassion that Hand says will endear him to her heart. 

“He had the biggest heart… If anybody didn’t know John, they missed out on it. They missed out on a good man.”