About Dr. Jane McAllister 

Our foundation plans to preserve Dr. McAllister’s legacy through the renovation of her home as a museum that will showcase the power of education within the Black community through exhibitions and public programs.

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Dr. Jane McAllister, a trailblazing educator from Vicksburg, Mississippi, made history in 1929 as the first African American—and the first in the world—to earn a Ph.D. in Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College. She previously earned her B.A. from Talladega College (1919) and M.A. from the University of Michigan (1921).

Her career spanned several historically Black colleges and universities, including Southern University, Fisk University, Virginia State University, Miner Teachers College, and Jackson College (now Jackson State University). In 1929, she became head of Fisk’s Department of Education, the first Black woman to hold the role. Over 25 years at Miner Teachers College, she gained national recognition in curriculum development and teacher training.

Returning to Mississippi in 1951, McAllister transformed Jackson College’s Teacher Education Program, launching her “Window on the World” initiatives. These brought Nobel Peace Prize recipient Ralph Bunche, telelectures from classical scholar Moses Hadas, and live discussions with U.S. cabinet officials to campus—earning national attention from outlets like The Christian Science Monitor and The New York Times.

In 1963, she was named Jackson College’s first “Teacher of the Year.” By her retirement in 1970, the school had named a dormitory and lecture series in her honor. When she passed away in 1996 at age 96, her legacy was firmly cemented in Mississippi history.

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