2005

Jefferson
Awards

The Central
Texas Board of Selectors has chosen Mae Jackson-Huddleston to receive a
2005
Jefferson
Award Medallion. 

Dr.
Jackson-Huddleston is being nominated posthumously. 
The nominating letter from
McLennan
w:st="on">
County
Commissioner Lester Gibson points out, “Dr. Jackson-Huddleston’s
unexpected death gave rise to an unprecedented response from citizens of


Waco-McLennan

County

.  Such compliments in death
are indicative of her exemplary works in life.”

Commissioner
Gibson grew up in the same
Central Texas
town with Mae Jackson.  He
remembers her having “an aura appropriate of a princess and a natural
born leader of people.”  She
was a public servant most of her life and a volunteer from a very early
age.

Dr.
Jackson-Huddleston was the first elected black mayor of the City of

Waco

, defeating four formidable candidates in May of 2003. 

Dr.
Jackson-Huddleston earned a Bachelor of Science, then a Master of Social
Work and finally a Doctor of Philosophy. 
Her dissertation for her doctorate was all about volunteers. 
It was titled A Structural and Functional Analysis of
Voluntary Governing Boards in Not-For-Profit Human Services Agencies. It
studied why some boards were more productive than others. 
She must have learned a great deal from her doctorate because she
became a much sought after leader on many boards and committees. 
Those who served with her quickly learned if they were to
disagree with Mae, they best have their facts in order and be prepared
to defend their point of view because she was a tough negotiator. 

Commissioner
Gibson points out in his nomination letter, Dr. Jackson-Huddleston began
her fight to protect women, children and families while in her twenties. 
She worked with Dorothy Irene Height, president of the National
Council of Negro Women in launching Wednesdays in Mississippi, a
project to help poor women and families achieve economic
self-betterment.”  It was
in this environment she learned how political parties worked and this
shaped her adult life. 

She was
appointed to the w:st="on">
Texas
Board of Pardons and Paroles by Texas Governor Ann Richards, former
president of
Texas
Democratic Women and served four years on the

Waco

City

Council before being elected Mayor.

As
Commissioner Gibson writes, “Dr. Jackson-huddleston was a volunteer
with numerous entities and served on numerous boards and commissions. 
She had an intense spirit of volunteerism for the Young Women’s
Christian Association (YWCA).  The
mission of this organization is to “empower women and girls to
eliminate racism.”  Locally,
the YWCA dissolved and merged with the YMCA of
Central Texas
.  With this merger, she did
not lose here intensity for the love of volunteerism for the YMCA. 
She worked hard until the end to restore the Paul Quinn Campus,
located in
East Waco
, with a class YMCA facility.”

Back
to Jefferson Awards Main Page