Upon completion of renovations in September, the Rolland Township Library in Blanchard, Mich. will be rededicated as the Tate Memorial Library. Dan Shaw, a school teacher at Blanchard High School, has been a promoter for the preservation of Tate’s memory. Shaw has been involved with providing a headstone at her burial site, as well as her nomination into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame.
For many years, Tate was one of Kalamazoo’s best kept secrets. Her extraordinary life was uncovered by Kalamazoo Gazette reporter, Sonya Bernard-Hollins when she found her unique name on a list of alumni provided by the University. Bernard-Hollins was doing a story on WMU’s African American Firsts, and when she came across Tate she realized that she had found a true gem.
Tate has held many titles over the years; inventor, world traveler, journalist, and author being just the tip of the iceberg. Tate was the first African American to graduate from Oxford University in London, as well as the first African American woman to receive a Ph. D. from Harvard University and Radcliffe College. Tate was also named as WMU’s first African American Distinguished Alumna. When she graduated from the University in 1927, Tate held the school’s highest academic record at that time with all A’s and only three B’s.
As an educator, Tate strived to give her students the best experience possible. As someone who loved to travel, having circled the globe not once, but twice, she created a school Travel Club which took dozens of her students across the country. Upon her death in 1996, she left millions of dollars to various universities across the country for continued support of higher education.
“The best that we as educators can give to our students and graduates is capacity for continued growth. Having a purpose gives meaning to what human beings do.”
To learn more about Tate, please visit www.merzetate.com.
To read more about her library dedication, please click here.
Tate (center) pictured with President John Bernhard (left) and Loy Norrix (right) after receiving her honorary doctorate degree from Western Michigan University.
Posted by Stan Sulewski