Title
Dr. William Nathan Dansby, 1918-2002
Subject
Dentists
Tuscaloosa City School Board
World War II veterans
School integration
African-Americans--History--Tuscaloosa
Description
Dr. W.N. Dansby was appointed to the Tuscaloosa City School Board in 1971 by then-Mayor Snow Hinton. Dansby walked into the line of fire when the school system was in the middle of desegregation, having been placed under Federal court order in 1970.
Dr. Dansby, a dentist, decorated veteran of World War II, and the first black member of the board, served through the turmoil and helped turn an apathetic community into a supportive community with his calm manner and soft-spoken nature.
In 1988, Dansby talked to The Tuscaloosa News writer David Laubach about those times.
"It was an uncertain period," he admitted. "We didn't know where we were going and didn't know what the results were going to produce. And of course our biggest challenge was coordinating a plan that the public and the schools would accept. In times of change, you are going to find opposition, no matter what you decide. We struggled and struggled until we finally came up with a unified plan."
In 1985 Dr. Dansby became chairman of the city school system.
Dr. Dansby retired in 1993 after 22 years on the board. He is credited with helping to lead the system through desegregation, federal court orders, and years of proration. He helped build local support for education leading to the community approving an $18 million capital outlay improvement plan in 1986.
Dansby died on his 84th birthday, June 6, 2002.
Dr. Dansby, a dentist, decorated veteran of World War II, and the first black member of the board, served through the turmoil and helped turn an apathetic community into a supportive community with his calm manner and soft-spoken nature.
In 1988, Dansby talked to The Tuscaloosa News writer David Laubach about those times.
"It was an uncertain period," he admitted. "We didn't know where we were going and didn't know what the results were going to produce. And of course our biggest challenge was coordinating a plan that the public and the schools would accept. In times of change, you are going to find opposition, no matter what you decide. We struggled and struggled until we finally came up with a unified plan."
In 1985 Dr. Dansby became chairman of the city school system.
Dr. Dansby retired in 1993 after 22 years on the board. He is credited with helping to lead the system through desegregation, federal court orders, and years of proration. He helped build local support for education leading to the community approving an $18 million capital outlay improvement plan in 1986.
Dansby died on his 84th birthday, June 6, 2002.
Source
Tuscaloosa News Archive
Publisher
Tuscaloosa News
Date
1993
Contributor
Betty Slowe (Description)
Tuscaloosa Public Library
Type
Photograph
Identifier
264
Coverage
Tuscaloosa (AL)
Original Format
Photograph
Physical Dimensions
5 inches by 7 inches