Portrait dedication to honor Hanover’s first Black graduate
Alma Gene Prince Saunders, Hanover College’s first Black graduate, will be commemorated with a commissioned portrait to be displayed in the J. Graham Brown Campus Center. The unveiling will be held at 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7, in the Campus Center.
A 1951 Hanover graduate, Saunders was raised in nearby Carrollton, Ky. She applied for admission in 1948 as a transfer student from Indiana University. Despite turbulent times, she was welcomed on campus, especially by members of the student body and faculty. While at the College, she was a member of the Social Science Club and the chorus. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science and, ultimately, received a master’s degree in education administration at Kent State University and a master’s in psychology at Akron University.
Following her Hanover graduation, Saunders resided in Washington, D.C., and Natick, Mass., from 1951-53. She married Edward Saunders, an architect, August 21, 1953, and was married for 15 years before his death, Nov. 10, 1968. The couple had two children, including a daughter, Stacey Prince Saunders, and a son, Marc Saunders.
Saunders enjoyed a lengthy career as an educator, teaching in Akron, Ohio, and Anchorage, Alaska, from 1958 until her retirement in 1997. She worked from 1958-81 as a teacher in the Akron (Ohio) public school system at Lane, David Hill, Hatton, Fairlawn and Windemere elementary schools and Thornton Junior High School. She taught at Chugiak (Alaska) Elementary School from 1983-97.
In addition to her commitment to education, Saunders remained devoted to civil rights and served numerous community and religious organizations. She was affiliated with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., Delta Kappa Gamma and Phi Beta Kappa. She was a member of Akron Catholic Commission and was a Jennings Scholar and was listed in Who’s Who in American Education from 1989-90. She was also a member of St. Anthony and Elizabeth Ann Seton parishes.
Active throughout her life, Saunders’ hobbies included playing piano, reading, writing poetry, modern art, science, discussing politics and sports, gardening, playing golf, viewing nature and spending time with her family and friends.
Saunders died March 19, 2009, from a stroke and diabetes complications. She was 80 years old.
About the painting
The oil-on-canvas painting, created by Houston artist and educator Eddie Filer Jr., features Saunders, wearing a green dress adorned with a pearl necklace, seated in a red leather chair with a nearby flower-filled vase. Lisa Fleming ’82, a retired attorney and member of Hanover’s Board of Trustees, commissioned the painting.
