Effie McKerson Book Scholarship

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     Effie McKerson was born in Henderson, Texas, in 1924. She married Dr. Hayward McKerson and settled in Edina, Minnesota, in 1968. They were the proud parents of Hayward McKerson, Jr.

 

     Ms. McKerson was the first Black teacher in the Edina Public School system and a Minnesota Board of Education member. Prompted by her experiences as an educator in the States, she decided that she wanted to make a bigger impact in the education sector, teaching internationally in several countries abroad. She retired from the Edina Public School system and became an educator at Harvest Preparatory Charter School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She traveled the world and sponsored numerous foreign students throughout her journeys.

 

     She was the first black teacher in the Edina Public School system and the first black woman to become a member of the elite Women's Club of Minneapolis. Ms. McKerson was an active member of the Republican Political Party and was Minnesota’s alternate delegate to the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida.

 

     Ms. McKerson was a charter member of Iota Zeta Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated.  November 17, 1979, she, along with seven other members of the sorority, recognized the need to bring the sisterhood to Minnesota.  She was elected the first President of the chapter. Ms. McKerson continued her efforts to provide service and to empower those in need for over 35 years, until her passing on March 5, 2012.

 

     Recognizing Ms. McKerson’s dedication to education and the sisterhood, Iota Zeta Zeta Chapter developed a book scholarship in her honor.

 

     The chapter seeks to annually award one young woman for her efforts as a standout student. She must exude academic excellence and be active in her school and community, similar to our beloved Soror McKerson.  We proudly offer this book scholarship in hopes of assisting a determined young woman in reaching her academic and professional goals.

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