Finding aid for the Inez Beverly Prosser archives

Biography of Inez Beverly Prosser

Inez Beverly Prosser, born in Yoakum, Texas in 1897, was the oldest daughter in a family of eleven brothers and sisters. Her father, Samuel Andrew Beverly, was a waiter, and her mother, Veola Hamilton Beverly, was a housewife. She attended public schools in Yoakum, graduating from high school in 1912. Because of Prosser's interest in reading, her parents sent her to nearby Prairie View Normal College for teacher training. After graduation from Prairie View she taught for a brief period in the Yoakum Colored Schools before accepting a teaching position in Austin, Texas.

While teaching in Austin, Prosser attended Samuel Houston College and soon received her B.A. degree "with distinction" in education.Following her marriage to Rufus A. Prosser, she attended the University of Colorado and earned a Master's degree in educational psychology. Returning to Austin, Prosser taught education courses at Tillotson College and became the dean and registrar of the college.

During the 1929-1930 college year, Prosser played a dominant role in a number of events at Tillotson, including the arrangement of the visit of Dr. George Washington Carver and the remodeling of several buildings. She received recognition as "an excellent teacher and leader."In 1930, Prosser accepted a teaching position and administrative duties at Tougaloo College in Mississippi. The award of a General Education Board Fellowship in 1931 provided her with the financial assistance to pursue further graduate studies in educational psychology at the University of Cincinnati.

In 1933, Prosser earned her Ph.D. in educational psychology, the first Black American woman to receive this degree. Her dissertation, Non-Academic Development of Negro Children in Mixed and Segregated Schools was one of the earliest investigations into the social domain of elementary school children.

In 1934, one year after receiving her doctorate, Prosser was killed in an automobile collision near Shreveport, Louisiana. Prosser was cited for her contribution to Texas culture at the 1968 HemisFair exposition in San Antonio, Texas.

Scope and Content

This small collection contains Prosser's teaching certificates and school diplomas, including Prosser's degree from the University of Colorado. Other materials include a small amount of correspondence, and a school yearbook.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Restrictions on Access

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

The Ludy T. Benjamin, Jr. collected materials on Inez Beverly Prosser contain photocopied material regarding Prosser's education and professional life as well as several dissertations regarding Prosser's life and history. These materials were originally acquired and collected by Benjamin as part of his ongoing research in the history of psychology.
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Subject Headings

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

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Custodial History

Prosser materials were acquired from the Prosser family via Ludy T. Benjamin, Jr. and donated to the Cummings Center in several accessions between 2009 and 2010 by Benjamin, Jr.

Preferred Citation

Cite as: [identification of item], [folder number, box number], Archives of the History of American Psychology, The Drs. Nicholas and Dorothy Cummings Center for the History of Psychology - The University of Akron

Acquisition Information

This collection of materials was acquired as two separate donations from Ludy T. Benjamin through Bernice Beverly Arbor in 2009 and 2010.

Processing Information

The Inez Beverly Prosser papers were processed by Anthony Francini in February 2009. Updated by Samantha Hurst, October 2021.

Accruals

Further materials are expected.

Detailed Description of The Collection