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History

Who was Beulah Ralph?

Beulah Ralph was born on January 31, 1921, in Hardin, Missouri, and moved to Columbia as a child. She graduated from Douglass High School and later returned to work there, beginning a nearly 60-year career in education.

Beulah played a vital role in the district's transition through desegregation, especially after Douglass High School closed in 1960, following the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. In 1967, she founded the Home School Communicator Program during the civil rights movement.

Widely respected as a community leader and mentor, Beulah was known for her dedication to fostering individual dignity and racial equality. She passed away on November 17, 2010, at 83.

In her honor, Beulah Ralph Elementary School was dedicated in 2016. The dedication of Beulah Ralph Elementary honors her legacy while providing a contemporary educational space for the community.