Ann Hitch Kilgore (July 22, 1923 - July 20, 2001) was a Virginia educator and politician. He served on the Hampton, Virginia, city council for more than two decades, and became the city's first female mayor, serving from 1963-1971 and 1974-1978.
Video Ann Hitch Kilgore
Personal life
Ann Hitch was born in Portsmouth, Virginia to Edward Ashby Hitch and Marietta Cato Hitch (who was a teacher and headmaster in Portsmouth). Educated at a local public school, he graduated from Woodrow Wilson College, and then the Norfolk Division of College of William and Mary (now Old Dominion University), and College of William and Mary.
In 1944, he married a US Naval engineer (and later aeronautical engineer NASA) Edwin Carroll Kilgore. The couple moved to Hampton, Virginia in 1946 where he worked at Langley Research Center. They had two children - Ashby Caroline Kilgore and Elizabeth Kilgore Byrd (husband, Richard Kenneth Byrd) and one grandson, Richard Kilgore Byrd - before his death ended their 57-year marriage. Ashby Kilgore is currently the Newport News Public School Inspector in nearby Newport News.
Maps Ann Hitch Kilgore
Careers
After graduating with a degree in education, Ann Hitch (later Kilgore) became an English teacher in Norfolk County, Virginia. He taught first in Portsmouth's hometown of Alexander Park High School, and then at Hampton High School in Hampton after it was built in 1956.
He was also active in the local community, and became president of Hampton Junior Women's Club from 1955 to 1957. This occurred during the Massive Resistance crisis in Virginia after the US Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. At the beginning of the crisis, several African Americans from Norfolk City sued the public school system for access to white secondary schools, and in 1956 the Byrd Organization threatened to shut down all Virginia public schools to prevent court-ordered desegregation (against many urban residents Norfolk and District).
In 1958, Ann Kilgore ran for one of three open seats at Hampton City Council, and won. He continued to win re-election until his retirement in 1980. In 1963, fellow Council members chose Ann Kilgore as Mayor of Hampton. He led the city as mayor from 1963 to 1971 and returned from 1974 to 1978. He was considered successful in integrating Hampton schools and businesses without litigation as the greatest achievement. Also during his tenure as mayor, Hampton Town built the Hampton Coliseum, Town Hall and police station, and donated the land to Thomas Nelson Community College. He also fostered the local tourism industry and enhanced racial relationships generally as cities tripled from less than 30,000 residents to more than 100,000 people.
Death and inheritance
Ann Kilgore died at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, Virginia on July 20, 2001, congratulated by her husband, daughter and granddaughter. She is buried at Parklawn Memorial Park in Hampton.
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
0 Comments