Maggie Cornelius

As a child growing up in southeast Texas, education and faith was the moral epicenter of her family. From an early age, she had a strong passion for education, so much that she was known as the “little teacher” by her family, peers, and the community. Her passion led her to achieve academically. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Samuel Huston College (Huston-Tillotson University) in Austin, Texas, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. She later graduated from the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University with a Master of Business Administration Degree, and completed postgraduate work at numerous schools, including the University of Michigan at Ypsilanti. Her work did not go unnoticed as she was honored nationally for academic excellence and featured in the Crisis Magazine.

In 1951 she came to Midland, Texas to teach at George Washington Carver Junior/Senior High School.

She married Bryant Cornelius in 1953 and had three daughters: Cynthia Kaye, Damita Sue, and Mary Angela.

She taught Typing and Journalism for 14 years at Carver and went on to Midland Senior High School in 1965 where she later became Business Department Chair until her retirement; she also taught for a period of time at Midland College. Following an admirable career in education, she retired as an educator in 1987, after 36 years of service.

During and following her time as an educator, Maggie devoted herself to community service. She served on several boards, and served actively through her memberships with Texas State Teachers Association, Midland Association of Retired School Personnel, Midland County Voting, and as a charter member of Negro Business & Professional Women’s Club, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Midland Alumnae Chapter, and Freewill Foster Home. She has received several awards and distinctions for her community service, most notably a resolution in her honor on the floor of the Texas State House of Representatives.

Maggie was one of strong faith. As a child she accepted Christ and was reared in her family church, Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, which was founded by her grandfather in 1889. Since then she remained active in church. She was a member of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church and a charter member of the Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Horace Doyle; in 2011, she was honored by Mt. Calvary with the dedication of the Maggie L. Cornelius Career Development Center at the church and in 2015 as Mother of the Church.

Maggie’s achievements are extensive, but her most prized were being a mother and grandmother to her immediate family and the Midland community