Our Founders
Dr. Sanford’s professional career has spanned the elementary through college and graduate school levels. She has been a classroom teacher, teacher of guidance, assistant principal, and principal in the New York City School system. She taught education courses at Baruch College and at Fordham University. She was a visiting practitioner and teaching fellow at the Principals’ Center at Harvard University, Graduate School of Education. Honorary doctorates were conferred on Regent Sanford by Mercy College, The Bank Street College of Education, Five Towns College, and most recently, St. John’s University. She is a graduate of Brooklyn College, Wellesley College, and Fordham University, where she was a Ford Foundation Fellow in Urban Education. On the occasion of the 125th Anniversary of Wellesley College in Massachusetts, the African Studies Department presented The First Distinguished Black Alumna Award to Adelaide Sanford in recognition of her lifetime accomplishments.
During her nineteen year tenure as principal, Public School 21, the Crispus Attucks School in Brooklyn,
earned a reputation as an outstanding inner city school where pupil achievement, teacher morale, and special programs for gifted and talented students brought city-wide recognition. The Humanitarian Award from the Congressional Black Caucus; The Distinguished Alumna Award from Brooklyn College; The Ellen Lurie Award from the Community Service Society; and the Josephine Shaw Lowell Award for her work in empowering low income communities are among the hundreds of awards presented to her for her leadership in education.
Adelaide L. Sanford, a spellbinding orator, was unanimously elected to a seven year term as a Member-At-Large of the Board of Regents of the State of New York in 1986. She was re-elected to a second seven year term in 1993 and to a five year term in 2000. In March, 2001, she was elected to the position of Vice Chancellor of the Board of Regents. During her tenure as a Regent, she has served as Chair of the Regents’ Committee on Low Performing Schools, Chair of the Committee on Higher Education, and Chair of the Committee on the Professions.
Vice Chancellor Sanford, a tireless fighter for the underserved and underrepresented, is a leading national advocate for the education of students of African Ancestry. She developed the concept of a Board of Education of People of African Ancestry and was instrumental in its founding, development, and growth.
The programs emanating from this initiative have received national recognition. Adelaide L. Sanford, married to the late Dr. Jay Sanford, have two children, Dr. Jayminn Sanford-DeShields and David Sanford. She is the proud grandparent of two grandsons: David Corey Sanford and Daraja Jary DeShields.
During her nineteen year tenure as principal, Public School 21, the Crispus Attucks School in Brooklyn,
earned a reputation as an outstanding inner city school where pupil achievement, teacher morale, and special programs for gifted and talented students brought city-wide recognition. The Humanitarian Award from the Congressional Black Caucus; The Distinguished Alumna Award from Brooklyn College; The Ellen Lurie Award from the Community Service Society; and the Josephine Shaw Lowell Award for her work in empowering low income communities are among the hundreds of awards presented to her for her leadership in education.
Adelaide L. Sanford, a spellbinding orator, was unanimously elected to a seven year term as a Member-At-Large of the Board of Regents of the State of New York in 1986. She was re-elected to a second seven year term in 1993 and to a five year term in 2000. In March, 2001, she was elected to the position of Vice Chancellor of the Board of Regents. During her tenure as a Regent, she has served as Chair of the Regents’ Committee on Low Performing Schools, Chair of the Committee on Higher Education, and Chair of the Committee on the Professions.
Vice Chancellor Sanford, a tireless fighter for the underserved and underrepresented, is a leading national advocate for the education of students of African Ancestry. She developed the concept of a Board of Education of People of African Ancestry and was instrumental in its founding, development, and growth.
The programs emanating from this initiative have received national recognition. Adelaide L. Sanford, married to the late Dr. Jay Sanford, have two children, Dr. Jayminn Sanford-DeShields and David Sanford. She is the proud grandparent of two grandsons: David Corey Sanford and Daraja Jary DeShields.
Dr. Adelaide Louvenia-Hines Sanford
Dr. Thelma C. Davidson Adair
Dr. Adair, who has often been referred to as "Citizen of the World", is one of the original founders of Presbyterian Senior Services, for which she was recognized as a 2011 Maggie Kuhn Award recipient.
Dr. Adair's name and signature can be found on the agency's original documents of incorporation. She was not only instrumental in the original establishment of PSS, but she had continued to play a pivotal leadership role for many years. She is an outstanding educator, world renowned church leader, advocate of human rights, peace
and justice issues, writer and public speaker.
Dr. Thelma C. Davidson Adair is a graduate of Barber-Scotia Jr. College, Concord, North Carolina, and Bennett College, Greensboro, North Carolina. She earned a Master’s Degree and Doctorate of Education from Teacher’s College, Columbia University.
A veteran community advocate, Dr. Adair has been a resident of Harlem since 1942, and has used her many talents in service to the Harlem community. Her belief that education is the cornerstone of human development led her to organize the Harlem Head Start Program. In 1944 she was the key organizer of the Arthur Eugene and Thelma Adair Community Life Center Head Start
which services over 250 children and their families in six locations throughout Harlem. Dr. Adair has published extensively on early childhood education and her work has become an authoritative guide for early childhood educators throughout the United States.
Among her other capacities, Dr. Adair is a Church leader. She is an ordained Elder in the Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church of New York City which was founded and organized by her late husband, the Reverend Arthur Eugene Adair. In 1976, Dr. Adair was elected Moderator of the Presbyterian Church’s 188th Assembly,
the first woman of color to be so honored.
Dr. Adair is the recipient of numerous awards and degrees for outstanding service which include: the Maggie Kuhn Award from Presbyterian Senior Services; Barber-Scotia Alumni Award for Meritorious Service in the field of Education; Columbia University Teacher’s College Distinguished Alumni Award; United Negro College Fund Distinguished Alumni Award for Outstanding Service and Commitment to Higher Education; and Woman of the Year Award. She is President Emeritus, Presbyterian Senior Services and is currently affiliated with the Church Women United National Board, the Davidson College Advisory Council, the National Council of Churches and
the Harlem Hospital Community Advisory Board.
Dr. Adair's name and signature can be found on the agency's original documents of incorporation. She was not only instrumental in the original establishment of PSS, but she had continued to play a pivotal leadership role for many years. She is an outstanding educator, world renowned church leader, advocate of human rights, peace
and justice issues, writer and public speaker.
Dr. Thelma C. Davidson Adair is a graduate of Barber-Scotia Jr. College, Concord, North Carolina, and Bennett College, Greensboro, North Carolina. She earned a Master’s Degree and Doctorate of Education from Teacher’s College, Columbia University.
A veteran community advocate, Dr. Adair has been a resident of Harlem since 1942, and has used her many talents in service to the Harlem community. Her belief that education is the cornerstone of human development led her to organize the Harlem Head Start Program. In 1944 she was the key organizer of the Arthur Eugene and Thelma Adair Community Life Center Head Start
which services over 250 children and their families in six locations throughout Harlem. Dr. Adair has published extensively on early childhood education and her work has become an authoritative guide for early childhood educators throughout the United States.
Among her other capacities, Dr. Adair is a Church leader. She is an ordained Elder in the Mount Morris Ascension Presbyterian Church of New York City which was founded and organized by her late husband, the Reverend Arthur Eugene Adair. In 1976, Dr. Adair was elected Moderator of the Presbyterian Church’s 188th Assembly,
the first woman of color to be so honored.
Dr. Adair is the recipient of numerous awards and degrees for outstanding service which include: the Maggie Kuhn Award from Presbyterian Senior Services; Barber-Scotia Alumni Award for Meritorious Service in the field of Education; Columbia University Teacher’s College Distinguished Alumni Award; United Negro College Fund Distinguished Alumni Award for Outstanding Service and Commitment to Higher Education; and Woman of the Year Award. She is President Emeritus, Presbyterian Senior Services and is currently affiliated with the Church Women United National Board, the Davidson College Advisory Council, the National Council of Churches and
the Harlem Hospital Community Advisory Board.
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The Elders' Gift to Our Children
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info@EldersHouse.org
The Elders' Gift to Our Children
1304 Water Avenue
Selma, Alabama 36703
info@EldersHouse.org
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Ms. Emily Moore
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Emily Moore, Educator, Founder, Executive Director Alliance Junior Development Program Inc., has been recognized by Elite American Educators for dedication, achievements and leadership in youth development.
More than 50 years ago, Emily Moore discovered that she had a natural ability to be successful in team sports. She said that she found that “the team spirit carried over to my individual endeavors setting an uncompromising standard of excellence. In every game, you meet on the field with an expectation of fair play. When I learned that in the game of life not everyone was treated fairly I set out to demand fairness by speaking out against inequality and injustice whenever I saw it around me.” Her abilities piqued her interest in physical education and prompted her to pursue a career in the field.
Throughout her life, Ms. Moore served in Nigeria as a Peace Corp volunteer, organized The Friends of SNCC in Paris, and served with Queen Mother Moore for three years in a delegation touring the United States and Tanzania. She was also the first of 11 students at Morgan State University to be arrested for refusing to leave a segregated lunch counter. Dr. Martin Luther King made a trip to the college to encourage her and her colleagues. These experiences inspired her to start her own organization. In 1975, Ms. Moore founded the Alliance Junior Tennis Development Program, to introduce tennis to children who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed. She effectively uses tennis to encourage structure and discipline within children. Most of these children have been afforded opportunities to attend college on tennis scholarships, as well as participate in tournaments across the country and abroad. Her efforts were lauded by the late Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson. She was also honored in 2008 at the OGA (Operation Get Ahead) 18th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Breakfast and was presented with the Rosa Parks Award.
Ms. Moore attributes her success to her mother’s words as a young child when she told her to “do your best.”
She took those words to mean to be consistent, to be disciplined, to exercise self-control and to work hard
in everything she does.
More than 50 years ago, Emily Moore discovered that she had a natural ability to be successful in team sports. She said that she found that “the team spirit carried over to my individual endeavors setting an uncompromising standard of excellence. In every game, you meet on the field with an expectation of fair play. When I learned that in the game of life not everyone was treated fairly I set out to demand fairness by speaking out against inequality and injustice whenever I saw it around me.” Her abilities piqued her interest in physical education and prompted her to pursue a career in the field.
Throughout her life, Ms. Moore served in Nigeria as a Peace Corp volunteer, organized The Friends of SNCC in Paris, and served with Queen Mother Moore for three years in a delegation touring the United States and Tanzania. She was also the first of 11 students at Morgan State University to be arrested for refusing to leave a segregated lunch counter. Dr. Martin Luther King made a trip to the college to encourage her and her colleagues. These experiences inspired her to start her own organization. In 1975, Ms. Moore founded the Alliance Junior Tennis Development Program, to introduce tennis to children who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed. She effectively uses tennis to encourage structure and discipline within children. Most of these children have been afforded opportunities to attend college on tennis scholarships, as well as participate in tournaments across the country and abroad. Her efforts were lauded by the late Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson. She was also honored in 2008 at the OGA (Operation Get Ahead) 18th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Breakfast and was presented with the Rosa Parks Award.
Ms. Moore attributes her success to her mother’s words as a young child when she told her to “do your best.”
She took those words to mean to be consistent, to be disciplined, to exercise self-control and to work hard
in everything she does.