I remember Dr. Mady Gray. I met her wen I was a student at the HBCU, Huston-Tillotson College (now Huston-Tillotson University) in Austin, Texas. This was way back in the mid-1970s. She died in 2014 and a legacy entry is all I can find about her on the web.
She was one of the kindest persons I ever met. She taught the Intensive English course to the international students. It was a tough job. Many came from politically complicated areas of the world, including Iran. I remember hearing many heated diatribes against the Shah. Mady took it in stride.
I don’t remember calling her Dr. Gray. Dr. Jenny Lind Porter called her by her first name, Mady. I think that’s what I called her.
She invited me to her home to meet her family. Her husband cultivated a hydroponic tomato garden in the house. He was very devoted to it.
Mady was very patient with the international students. They loved her. All of us did.
Mady performed music in the annual faculty talent show, held in the Agard-Lovinggood Chapel (now Agard-Lovinggood Auditorium). I can’t remember much about it. She sang a song and accompanied herself on the guitar. The song had something to do with how many flags she has been under, which included Texas, the United States of America, Indonesia, and there must have been several others because her introduction to the song made a reference to Six Flags Over Texas, but she had even more “Flags over me.” She was funny and endearing during the performance.
I think Mady Gray deserves special mention for Women’s History Month.
Picture Credit: Pixydotorg