For over forty years, Shirley N. Tyler '50 supported her community in Alexandria, Virginia, seeing them through floods, rat infestations, drug trafficking, the effects of redlining, and desegregation of the Alexandria public school system. Tyler was an educator, teaching second and third grade at the local elementary school before becoming Headmistress until her retirement in 1989. She served on the Alexandria School Board, becoming the Board's first African American female chairperson. She was involved in the integration of local high schools into T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School), the inspiration for the 2000 film, Remember the Titans. In 2014, she was named a Living Legend of Alexandria, and in 2021 the Shirley N. Tyler Unity Park was named in her honor. This interview with Tyler's daughter, Kathryn Prigmore, reflects on the legacy of a remarkable Simmons alumna.
Did your mother ever talk about her studies at Simmons?
All the time! She was a staunch supporter of Simmons. She lived in Salem, Massachusetts and took the train to her classes, and was one of only two Black women in the school at the time. One of my daughters applied there and we visited the campus with my Mom, which was really special.
Going to Simmons was an amazing opportunity for my mother. While at Simmons, she was Secretary for the U.S. National Student Association (NSA). A book about the NSA was published in 2006, American Students Organize: Founding the U.S. National Student Association After World War II An Anthology and Sourcebook. She wrote several articles for the book, including “Opportunities for Leadership at Women's Colleges.”
What do you see as your mother's lasting impact?
What she was able to do in her career was to get people with different perspectives — different political, cultural, or religious beliefs, from different backgrounds — to talk openly and resolve issues in an amicable way. I think that's why she was so successful at accomplishing almost everything she did.
As a child, were you aware of the extent of her community involvement?
We were the first Black family in our Alexandria, Virginia neighborhood. We quickly got to know our neighbors and connected with the community. Mom got involved in political campaigns, and my brother and I helped put up flyers to get people to vote. Community involvement was, and still is, a regular part of our lives.
Mom helped to get the first Black man elected to city council. She and our father were always involved with the Parent Teacher Associations, which led to her serving on the Alexandria City School Board during the K-6-222 reintegration of the city schools. Starting in middle school , throughout the period leading up to the reintegration, I attended school board, city council, and community organization meetings in 1971. During this period she was a key member of an integrated group of local Urban League and NAACP members. She continued to advise and mentor city officials until she passed in 2018. Even though the Nazis and other right wing groups were present at the meetings, I never felt threatened because I knew so many people in the audience — parents, city council members, the mayor — but I'm sure that my parents and many others received threats.
What lessons did you learn from her, growing up?
I try to not let my personal beliefs get in the way of my work. I'm an architect, and I treat everybody equally and listen to their perspectives before I make my own opinions heard. I try not to judge anyone. We're all unique people with our own challenges. That's the biggest lesson that I learned.
We lived through three floods: two flooded the first floor, and the third flood reached the second floor. Mom was involved in advocating for the Army Corps of Engineers project to contain Four Mile Run, which was a stream until it rained, then it became a river. After we moved in, the neighborhood was redlined, which meant the city stopped paying attention to it. You can see the effects of redlining on the area. At the park which was just named for her, the median is barren, while just across the intersection the median has mature crepe myrtles and the sidewalks are tree-lined.
What does the park named in your mother's honor mean to you?
We're so proud of it! We just wish she could have been here to see it although she was modest and wouldn't have wanted it named for her! The local neighborhood association wanted to name it Shirley Tyler Park, and the Latino community wanted to name it Unity Park. The park authority vote came out in favor of Shirley Tyler Park, but after the final hearing I thought it should have both names.
My brother and I petitioned the city to add Unity, because Mom dedicated her life to racial and cultural harmony and we didn't want the current community to feel that they weren't heard or valued. Mom would have approved. The Shirley Tyler Unity Park honors Mom and honors everybody who has and will live in the Arlandria/Hume Springs/Chirilagua community.