Ambassador Cynthia Shepard-Perry

Cynthia Helena Norton Shepard Perry, was born on November 11, 1928, in the mining town of Burnett, Indiana, in Otter Creek Township near Terre Haute, Indiana. She was one of nine children born to George W. and Flossie (Phillips) Norton. Though a middle child, she credited the attention that her father gave her and his influence upon her early life as fundamental to her later development. Her father, a former coal miner, and later a school bus driver, had artistic talents which his work and duties for a large family prevented him from fully expressing, but he took time to teach her to play the piano and to draw, and encouraged her to think positively of herself and broadly of her potential. In 1946, she graduated from Otter Creek High School where she was one of few African American students and where she honed a gift for writing, and was the winner of writing contests. Her interests in the international arena and global topics were fueled by her father’s world view, his service in France in World War I, and also by her brothers’ assignments during World War II.

Cynthia married James Shepard, member of an established family from her same community, shortly after high school. Together they had four children, Donna, James, Milo and Mark. Separating and finally divorcing after more than 20 years of marriage, she reconnected with a friend from her school days, Dr. James O. Perry, a widower whom she married in 1971, simultaneously becoming mother to his two children, James and Paula.

In her 1998 memoir, All Things Being Equal: One Woman’s Journey, she states that “at age 16 she planned to be an ambassador.” With the help of family and her high school principal, she developed a 25-year career plan. Her career began in 1957 with the Nichols Investment Corporation in Terre Haute, Indiana, where she later joined the IBM Corporation as an educational representative in the Office Products Division. In her efforts to further her career, she began her educational journey with winning a scholarship to Indiana State University to obtain a political science degree from Indiana State in 1968. In 1970, she received an Ed.D. in International Education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, focusing on improving race relations through African Studies curricula for public schools. Despite never having been to Africa, she collaborated with over 30 former Peace Corps volunteers who had served in Africa. Together, they developed and tested African Studies curricula, drawing on their first-hand experiences and the latest research into Black history and affective education.

Her first assignment to Africa was at the University of Nairobi in 1968 through Operation Crossroads Africa. From 1971-1973, she trained a group of Peace Corps volunteers at Texas Southern University to serve in Sierra Leone. In 1974, she served as a member of diplomatic delegations and led a special educational delegation to Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria and Liberia. From 1973-1976, she trained Peace Corps paramedical volunteers in Kenya, lectured at the University of Nairobi and served as consultant to the US Information Service in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia. In 1976, she was appointed Staff Development Officer at the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa.

In 1978, she returned to her professorship at Texas Southern. In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed her as Chief of the Education and Human Resources Division in the Africa Bureau of the United States Agency for International Development. She was responsible for establishing policies and educational programs for the 43 Sub-Saharan nations receiving U.S. assistance at the time.

Cynthia Shepard Perry moved fluidly between academia, consulting, and diplomacy. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan appointed her to U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone (1986–1989) and then she was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to be U.S. Ambassador to Burundi (1990–1993). In both countries, she navigated complex political landscapes, promoting peace and humanitarian efforts. Her diplomatic finesse helped to address critical issues, strengthen bilateral relations and support the advancement of these African nations.

In 1996, she was appointed by President George W. Bush as Regent of Texas Woman's University, where she served until 2001 when President Bush appointed her to U.S. Executive Director of the African Development Bank, in Abidjan, later in Tunis,Tunisia. In her role as Executive Director, she was responsible for contributing to economic development and poverty reduction across the continent of Africa. In 2007, she retired and returned to Houston, where she served as Honorary Consul General of Senegal and later as Honorary Consul General of Rwanda, confirmed by the US Department of State.

She was the recipient of many honors including, 1987 NAACP President’s Award; Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from University of Massachusetts Mass in 1988; 2002 Distinguished Alumni Award; 2014 Salute to Service Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Service; 2016 United Nations Association Global Citizen Award. She was a lifetime member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

As an African American woman, Ambassador Cynthia Shepard Perry beat all odds throughout her life. She once explained that whenever she was presented with a wall, she would walk through it, essentially daring anyone to convince her of its presence. She inspired future generations to strive for excellence and bridge cultural divides. Her legacy lives on through her dedication to education, equality, and international cooperation. She was an accomplished, self-taught artist, with a passion for painting in oils, primarily portraits and African landscapes. She was a master gardener and immensely enjoyed a very purposeful life, one founded on service to humanity, a principle of her beloved Bahá’í faith. She was grateful to God for all the assistance and encouragement as well as the challenges that made it possible for her to forge a life and legacy beyond her wildest dreams, including a very large and beautiful family and many lifetime friends from all over the world. Her impact will resonate forever and continue to inspire us all.

Ambassador Perry leaves behind four surviving children and daughter-in-law, Donna Ross (Indianapolis, IN), Milo Shepard (Pearland, TX), Paula Perry (Houston, TX), and Mark and Mirchaye Shepard (Namibia).

She was preceded in death by both husbands, by two sons and their wives: James and Katherine Shepard, James and Nina Perry, and by a grand daughter and three grandsons: Celeste Shepard, Clifford Robinson, Jonathan Perry, Jeremy Perry.

She also leaves behind 17 surviving grandchildren: Pamela Ross, Kent Ross, Kamyron Thompson, Bryan Shepard, Scott Shepard, Shannon Holt, LeShan Shepard, Nikki Ellis, Ashlee White, Jade Shepard, Chad Swain, Shainell Pruitt, Khaleeq Smith, Jasmine Perry, Helina Shepard, and Makda Shepard, as well as 25 great grandchildren and 9 great-great grandchildren