Mary Hatwood Futrell

Mary Hatwood Futrell (born May 24, 1940) is an American educator, professor, and pioneer in women's rights education. In her six-year-term as president of the National Education Association, she worked to advocate for students in poorer and lower-achieving schools.

Early life Mary Alice Franklin Hatwood was born on 24 May 1940 in Altavista, Virginia. After her father, a construction worker, died when she was four, she and her three sisters were raised in relative poverty by a single mother, Josephine Hatwood Austin, who worked in a factory and as a domestic. By the time she was eight, Hatwood was joining her mother work "dusting church pews and offices." A few years later, she worked during her summers as a babysitter and housekeeper at the beach. Upon graduating from high school, her teachers, who had collected money from local businesses, churches, and sororities, presented her with a "scholarship" of $1,500 for college.

During her tenure, she worked to lower the student dropout rate by increasing the use of technology in the classroom and supporting families of children. She worked to fight the impression that organizations like the NEA protected the jobs of teachers at the cost of students. Futrell was also instrumental in the NEA's collaboration with the American Federation of Teachers, forming the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Under her leadership, the program was consistently rated among the top American graduate schools for education. Distinguished Service Medal (Columbia University), 1987 Jan Amos Comenius Medal (UNESCO), 2004 John Hope Franklin Award ( Diverse: Issues in Higher Education), 2013 Over 20 honorary degrees, including Virginia State University; George Washington University (1984); Spelman College (1986); Central State University; Eastern Michigan University (1987); Adrian College