Dorothye Smith
Retired Sarasota County principal Dorothye Smith is revered by her students and colleagues.
Smith, born in Clearwater, Florida is the first African American principal hired to lead Southside Elementary School located in an affluent Sarasota neighborhood. Her first job after completing studies at Bethune Cookman College was teaching African American fourth graders, first in the USO building until Booker’s two-story classroom structure from Overtown was moved to Newtown. In her class were students eager to learn such as Yvonne Brown and Edward E. James II. “Children are inquisitive. Ed always asked ‘why?’” Back then, some young career climbers lived with families to make ends meet. The 20-year old’s monthly $154 salary exceeded the public housing threshold. She lived in the home of Mary Jane Wilson.
She met Jacob Smith who managed the Ace Theatre for African American patrons. “One of my friends talked me into going to the movies with her. She wanted me to meet this cute little man.” Smith visited on his days off and stayed until catching the 9 p.m. bus back to Overtown. That was bedtime at the Wilson house.
Smith taught at Booker for 15 years until she was assigned to a Venice school in 1957 during integration. She was promoted to county reading specialist and made friends along the way, then returned to run the school in Venice again before retirement. “The most enjoyable time that a person can have is in the classroom with the children.”
