Jackson, Irene (Irene "Renie" Dobbs Jackson), 1908-1999

Person

Staff Only

Dates

Existence: 1908 - 1999

Biographical Note

Dr. Irene "Renie" Dobbs Jackson (1908-1999), the eldest daughter, is the mother of the first African American mayor of Atlanta, Maynard Jackson Jr. (1938-2003). She was the first African American to obtain a library card from the Atlanta Public Library. She graduated as valedictorian from Spelman College (1925) and earned her master's and doctorate degrees (1956) in French from the University of Grenoble and the University of Toulouse in France, respectively. She also served as the head of the French department at Spelman and as a chair of the Modern Languages department of North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina.

She married Maynard Jackson Sr., and the couple had six children: Jeanne, Alexandra, Maynard Jr., Carol, Constance, and Paul.

Found in 1 Collection or Record:

John Wesley Dobbs Family papers

Collection

Identifier: 122

Scope and Contents The papers document the personal and professional lives of the John Wesley Dobbs family of Atlanta, Georgia. The key topics are civil rights, education, integration, race relations, and African American suffrage. The main strengths are the civil rights activities of the family as well as J.W. Dobb's tenure as Grand Master of Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge of Georgia. The collection encompasses 5.8 linear feet of correspondence, photographs, programs, sound recordings, speeches, and news...

Dates: Created: 1873-2001; Other: Date acquired: 01/01/1974

Found in: Amistad Research Center / John Wesley Dobbs Family papers