Mary Frances Early
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University of Georgia (1967, Ed.S.)
Mary Frances Early | |
|---|---|
 Early in 2026 | |
| Born | June 14, 1936 Atlanta, Georgia |
| Alma mater | University of Georgia (1962, M.M.Ed.) University of Georgia (1967, Ed.S.) |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Known for | First Black person to receive a degree from the University of Georgia |
Mary Frances Early (born June 14, 1936) is an American educator who was the first African-American to earn a degree from the University of Georgia. Early graduated with a master's degree in music education in 1962, and later received an educational specialist degree in 1967.
Early was born on June 14, 1936, in Atlanta, Georgia to John H. and Ruth Early. She attended Turner High School there and went on to graduate from Clark College (later Clark Atlanta University) with a bachelor's degree in music education in 1957. She began her postgraduate work at the University of Michigan to pursue a master's degree in music education then enrolled at the University of Georgia in 1961, receiving her master's degree (MMEd) in music education on August 16, 1962. She also earned an Ed.S. degree in music education in 1967 from Georgia.[1]
Career
During Early's career, she spent time as a music teacher, a planning and development co-ordinator, an elementary division curriculum specialist and a music resource teacher at various schools, including John Hope Elementary, Wesley Avenue Elementary Schools and Coan Middle School. In addition, she was an adjunct professor at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges a music co-ordinator and supervisor of Atlanta Public Schools. She was the first African-American Georgia Music Educators Association president in 1981. In 2003, Early was the head of the music department at Clark Atlanta University.[1]