Rachel B. Noel
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Rachel Bassette Noel (born January 15, 1918 in Hampton, Virginia, USA. Died February 4, 2008 in Oakland, California) was an African American politician known for several notable achievements. Besides her many contributions to the city of Denver and the state of Colorado, she is best known for the "Noel Resolution." The Noel Resolution was presented to the Board of Education on April 25, 1968. It called for the school district to provide equal educational opportunity for all children. The Resolution called for the superintendent to develop a plan to integrate the school system. For this, Mrs. Noel and her family received many threatening phone calls. In the end, the resolution was passed in February, 1970. [1]
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[edit] Personal life
Mrs. Noel's parents were both college graduates. Her father, A.W.E. Bassette, Jr., was a lawyer. From an early age her parents instilled in her the importance of a good education. Mrs. Noel graduated with a bachelor's degree from Hampton Institute (now known as Hampton University) and earned a master's degree in sociology from Fisk University. She married Dr. Edmond F. Noel, a physician who practiced medicine in the Five Points community, with whom she had both a son and a daughter.
[edit] Accomplishments
In 1965, Mrs. Noel became the first African American to serve on the Denver Public Schools Board of Education. With her successful campaign and election, she became the first African American woman elected to public office in Colorado.
Mrs. Noel was a professor at Metropolitan State College, and chairperson of the African-American Studies Department. Mrs Noel was also a member of the Chancellor's Advisory Committee for the Health Sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder and University of Colorado at Denver and Commissioner of the Denver Housing Authority
Mrs. Noel was honored with the formation of the Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Professorship in 1981. A visiting professor is named each year to conduct classes, seminars and workshops for students, faculty and the community under the program. In addition, she received an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree, awarded by the University of Denver and was appointed by former governor Richard Lamm to serve on the University of Colorado Board of Regents in 1976. Following this, she was elected statewide to a six-year term on the board in 1978 and served as chair of the board for one year.
