Sarah Ann Blocker, in a 1903 publication.

Sarah Ann Blocker (October 27, 1857 – April 15, 1944) was an American educator, a founder of Florida Memorial College. She was inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame in 2003.

Early life

Blocker earned her teaching certificate in Atlanta in 1883.[1]

Career

Blocker taught at Florida Baptist Academy from 1892,[2] and was head of the normal department there.[3] Blocker is credited with co-founding Florida Memorial College by arranging the merger of Florida Baptist Institute and Florida Baptist Academy, to form the Florida Memorial and Industrial Memorial Institute.[1][4] Blocker was Dean of Women at the Institute by 1935.[5] One of her students at Florida Baptist Academy was philanthropist Eartha M. M. White.[6] Another was author Zora Neale Hurston.

Personal life and legacy

Sarah Ann Blocker died in 1944, aged 86 years.[1] In 2003, Sarah Ann Blocker was inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame by Governor Jeb Bush.[1] The following year, she received a posthumous honorary doctorate as part of the 125th-anniversary celebration at Florida Memorial University.[7] There is a Sarah A. Blocker Meritorious Service Award given annually by Florida Memorial University.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Michael Reed, "Sarah Ann Blocker Inducted into State's Women's Hall of Fame" Archived 2017-02-17 at the Wayback Machine St. Augustine Record (November 18, 2003).
  2. ^ Florida Memorial University, Our History Archived 2014-09-11 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ^ John William Gibson, The Colored American from Slavery to Honorable Citizenship (J. L. Nichols 1903): 122.
  4. ^ Carole Elizabeth Boyce Davies, ed., Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora (ABC-CLIO, 2008): 446. ISBN 9781851097050
  5. ^ "Florida Normal Retains High Rating by Southern Association" Pittsburgh Courier (January 12, 1935): 2. via Newspapers.comOpen access icon
  6. ^ "Founders Honored at Florida Normal" News Tribune (June 2, 1957): 14. via Newspapers.comOpen access icon
  7. ^ Florida Commission on the Status of Women, Sarah Ann Blocker Archived 2016-01-22 at the Wayback Machine.
  8. ^ Florida Memorial University, Traditions Archived 2017-02-06 at the Wayback Machine.
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