Corrinne Mudd Brooks

Corrinne Mudd Brooks (December 14, 1914 – August 5, 2008 to James Mudd, born in Springfield, KY and Bessie Loretta Douglas, born in Fort Wayne, IN. The Mudd family soon moved from Kentucky to Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1915. After living in Fort Wayne, for thirteen years, Mudd Brooks mother died in 1928 of unreported causes. Mudd Brooks became the mother figure for her six siblings. Though her mother's death made an impact on her, she still excelled in school, including as an athlete. She was one of the first girls in her high school, Central High School, to receive a sweater for her participation in basketball and soccer. In 1933, she graduated from Central High School and then attended Indiana University, thanks to the award of a Civil Men's Scholarships. Her family line is linked to enslaved people born near Calvary, Kentucky. Her family considered themselves Catholics because of the baptism of an enslaved ancestor into that faith. Most of Corrine's father's family came from north of Calvary in an area near Springfield, Kentucky. One important member of the Mudd family that lived in Springfield was her grandfather, George Mudd, fought as a member of the Union Colored Troops in the Civil War. While she was working on the committee she would help young African Americans, who needed and wanted help get on the right path for college. This action to help young students get to college is seen again later in her life when she would later go on to serve as a member of the Ultra Arts Committee. It is there, she and others would help raise money for scholarships for those who wanted to study the arts in college. It was sometime during this period that Corrinne Brooks Mudd would serve as the vice president and secretary on their board. Due to her actions of going out registering over 40,000 people to voter, she was recognized by Senator, at the time, John F. Kennedy, who then invited her to a National Conference on Constitutional Rights and American Freedom.