Ellen Louise Dolvey Howard, Baltimore educator and TRIO leader, dies at 97
Ellen Louise Dolvey Howard, a Baltimore educator and national TRIO leader, died at 97 after a decades-long career helping low-income and first-generation students access higher education and trade programs. The post Ellen Louise Dolvey Howard, Baltimore educator and TRIO leader, dies at 97 appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
Black News 
By Victoria Mejicanos
AFRO Staff Writer
vmejicanos@afro.com
The AFRO is saddened to learn about the death of Ellen Louise Dolvey Howard at age 97.
Howard, a life-long resident of Maryland, was a Baltimore native and a 1951 graduate of Morgan State University. She is remembered as an educator and national leader of TRIO programs. The organization has helped thousands of low-income and first-generation students access higher education, according to her granddaughter, Cory Booker.
Howard served as the sole director of two “TRIO” programs- Education Talent Search and the Maryland Educational Opportunity Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, in 1979.
“She was among the first Black teachers at Hamilton Junior High and later led federally funded programs placing hundreds of students into college each year. Her work spanned more than five decades and left a lasting impact on Baltimore’s educational landscape,” said Booker. “She was the heart of our family, everything revolved around her love, her strength and her presence, opening doors for others and never stopping. It’s a legacy we carry forward.”
Howard’s work in education spanned more than five decades and left a lasting impact on Baltimore’s educational landscape. With a masters degree in education, administration and counseling from The Johns Hopkins University, she made it her mission to impact the lives of Baltimoreans seeking to improve themselves via the classroom.
Howard served as high school guidance counselor at Dunbar High school in Baltimore and was coordinator for the Educational and Occupational Information at the Central Office. She also developed one of the first financial aid books, Financial Aid for Higher Education, to help guide students through the financial aid process.
Born April 8, 1929, Howard is survived by her two sons, six grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and two daughters-in-law. After her passing on April 22, the AFRO spoke with her two sons, Larry Howard and Harold Hawkins Howard Jr.
Her 71-year old son, Larry, spoke about his mother’s love for family and community.
“Mother was someone who loved and cared for us with unconditional love, not unconditionally, but with unconditional love,” he said. “She loved her family fiercely.”
Her other son, Harold Hawkins Howard Jr., called her a “strong mother” and noted she was so involved in her community that it would be impossible to name all the roles. In addition to her work in education, she was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
Ellen Louise Dolvey Howard joined the sorority while at Morgan State University in 1951.
“She was very service-oriented, not only for her family, but for the community at large,” Harold Hawkins Howard Jr. said. His mother was a devoted member of Enon Baptist Church for more than 50 years.
Larry Howard noted her charismatic and bright personality, and hopes she is remembered as such.
“She was a very positive person. Who saw the best and sought the best in people. She always approached life positively with a smile, and went out of her way to help and to do whatever she could to help improve other people’s existence, lives, particularly young people,” he said.
Public viewing will be available on May 14 from 3 to 6 p.m. at March Life Tribute Center, P.A., located at 5616 Old Court Road in Windsor Mill, MD. Her wake will be the following day, on May 15, from 9 to 9:30 a.m. at the same location. A funeral will immediately follow, taking place at March Life Tribute Center at 9:30 a.m.
The post Ellen Louise Dolvey Howard, Baltimore educator and TRIO leader, dies at 97 appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
