Mamie Bynes Reese (September 3, 1911 – December 15, 1997) was an American clubwoman, college professor, and Georgia state official.

Early life

Mamie Bynes was born in

Gibson, Georgia Gibson is a city in Glascock County, Georgia, United States. The population was 663 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Glascock County and home to the Glascock County Courthouse, a National Register of Historic Places listed site ...

, and raised in Macon. She earned a bachelor's degree in home economics at

Spelman College Spelman College is a private, historically black, women's liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. It is part of the Atlanta University Center academic consortium in Atlanta. Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, Spelman re ...

in 1933, and a master's degree in education and guidance at

Drake University Drake University is a private university in Des Moines, Iowa. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including professional programs in business, law, and pharmacy. Drake's law school is among the 25 oldest in the United States. Hi ...

in 1948.

Career

In Georgia Bynes taught school as a young woman. From 1948 to 1973, Reese was an associate professor of education and Dean of Women at

Albany State University Albany State University is a public historically black university in Albany, Georgia. In 2017, Darton State College and Albany State University consolidated to become one university under the University System of Georgia (USG). Albany State Un ...

in Georgia. She was a charter member of the

Albany, Georgia Albany ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located on the Flint River, it is the seat of Dougherty County, and is the sole incorporated city in that county. Located in southwest Georgia, it is the principal city of the Albany, Georgia ...

alumnae chapter of

Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. () is a historically African American sorority. The organization was founded by college-educated women dedicated to public service with an emphasis on programs that assist the African American community. Delta ...

, when the chapter was founded in 1949, and served as the chapter president. She was president of the Southeastern Association of Colored Women's Clubs. Reese was appointed to the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women in 1963. She served on the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles from 1973 to 1987, appointed by Governor

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

. She chaired the board from July 1976 to October 1977, which made her the highest ranking black official in Georgia in 1976. "My philosophy is you can't build enough prisons to relieve or eliminate the problem," she said in 1987. "They're obsolete before they're built, and incarceration does not eliminate crime." Upon her retirement in 1987, Governor

Joe Frank Harris Joe Frank Harris (born February 16, 1936) is an American businessman and Democratic politician who served as the 78th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1983 to 1991. Early life and career Harris was born in the Atco Mill Village o ...

proclaimed August 27th as "Mamie Bynes Reese Day" in Georgia. Reese was a Georgia delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1968, and was the first black woman to represent Georgia at a

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

. National Association of Colored Women's Clubs From 1964 to 1968, Reese was the national president of the

National Association of Colored Women's Clubs The National Association of Colored Women's Clubs (NACWC) is an American organization that was formed in July 1896 at the First Annual Convention of the National Federation of Afro-American Women in Washington, D.C., United States, by a merger of t ...

(NACWC). Under her leadership, the NACWC's headquarters in Washington, D.C. were renovated, and the Mary Church Terrell Memorial Library was established to preserve the organization's records. She also prioritized funding scholarships and travel for young people. In 1968, when her immediate successor Myrtle B. Ollison said "I think the police are doing a grand job" and "I've never had any trouble with discrimination," Reese gave a statement clarifying that Ollison's personal opinions did not reflect the NACWC's policies or history of activism.

Personal life

Mamie Bynes married doctor William J. Reese, Sr. in 1941, in Georgia. Reese died from complications of

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

in 1997, aged 86 years, in Albany, Georgia.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reese, Mamie B. 1911 births 1997 deaths Spelman College alumni Drake University alumni Albany State University people Delta Sigma Theta members Presidents of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs