Thomas Minter
Encyclopedia
Thomas Kendall Minter was an education official who served in the United States government
and the government of New York City
.
Minter was born on June 28, 1924 in the Bronx
. Raised in East Harlem, he attended New York University
, where he earned his undergraduate and master's degree. He later earned a master's degree from the Union Theological Seminary
. Minter earned a Ph.D.
from Harvard University
in 1971.
His first teaching jobs were in East Harlem's junior and senior high schools. He taught in Maryland
at what is now Bowie State University
and became a district superintendent at the School District of Philadelphia
. He was named superintendent of the public schools in Wilmington, Delaware
in 1975, where he oversaw the implementation of a court-ordered desegregation plan that involved busing students between urban and suburban districts. Minter described that the effort "isn't just a Wilmington matter, It's national need. It goes right to the fabric of the society."
He was named as deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Elementary and Secondary Education in what was then the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare by HEW Secretary Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
in 1977, and was selected by President Jimmy Carter
in 1980 as first assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education in the United States Department of Education
.
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
and the government of New York City
Government of New York City
The government of New York City is organized under the City Charter and provides for a "strong" mayor-council system. The government of New York is more centralized than that of most other U.S...
.
Minter was born on June 28, 1924 in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. Raised in East Harlem, he attended New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, where he earned his undergraduate and master's degree. He later earned a master's degree from the Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a preeminent independent graduate school of theology, located in Manhattan between Claremont Avenue and Broadway, 120th to 122nd Streets. The seminary was founded in 1836 under the Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with nearby Columbia...
. Minter earned a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1971.
His first teaching jobs were in East Harlem's junior and senior high schools. He taught in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
at what is now Bowie State University
Bowie State University
Bowie State University , is a public university located on 355½ acres in unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, north of the suburban city of Bowie. Bowie State is part of the University System of Maryland...
and became a district superintendent at the School District of Philadelphia
School District of Philadelphia
The School District of Philadelphia is a school district based in the School District of Philadelphia Education Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes all public schools in the city of Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the eighth largest school district in the nation.The School...
. He was named superintendent of the public schools in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
in 1975, where he oversaw the implementation of a court-ordered desegregation plan that involved busing students between urban and suburban districts. Minter described that the effort "isn't just a Wilmington matter, It's national need. It goes right to the fabric of the society."
He was named as deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Elementary and Secondary Education in what was then the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare by HEW Secretary Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
Joseph Anthony Califano, Jr. is Founder and Chairman of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, an independent non-profit research center affiliated with Columbia University in New York City...
in 1977, and was selected by President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
in 1980 as first assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education in the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
.