Upchurch, Ila Dedia, 1892-1989

Ila Dedia Upchurch was born in Buena Vista, Chickasaw County, Miss., the daughter of James and Rachel Upchurch. She was the fourth child of three girls and three boys. She attended Okalona Industrial College and Tuskegee Institute in Alabama before having to quit in order to assume family responsibilities. She took the county examination for making the second grade teacher certificate at the age of seventeen and began her teaching career at Pleasant Grove. She received a scholarship to Shorter College in North Little Rock. There she completed the prescribed course of study. She taught in a three teacher school in Ashworth Community. Later the Trustee Board of Shorter College elected her as head of the Home Economics Department. In the meantime she was granted a scholarship to Tuskegee Institute where she had the opportunity for further study. She started her teaching career in Prescott, Nevada County, Ark., schools through the Jeanes Project. She came to Nevada County schools in 1922 as a Jeanes Supervisor and remained there for twenty-five years finishing her teaching career. During that time she was a home economics teacher for teachers in the summer school at Yerger High School, in Hope, Ark. Later she was appointed Assistant Supervisor of Negro Schools of Nevada County.