Dr. Carolyn L. Robertson Payton is the first woman and first Black director of the Peace Corps. As a leading psychologist and educator of her era, Dr. Payton helped give group therapy techniques wider exposure among Black clients and providers.
Payton was born May 13, 1925 in Norfolk, Va. The Bennett College graduate attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, earning a M.S. in Clinical Psychology. She then earned an Education doctorate from Columbia University. During her post-graduate studies, Payton worked as an educator and landed a prime job as an associate professor of psychology at Howard University. This would be the start of a deep connection with the celebrated HBCU.
The Largest Class of Black Women Ever Is Preparing to Graduate From West Point Military Academy
In 1964, Payton took a job with the Peace Corps in 1964 as a field assignment officer for volunteers serving West Africa. In 1967, she was named director of the Caribbean region for the Corps. Payton stepped down from the organization in 1970 and returned to Howard to direct its University Counseling Service (UCS) helping to expand its impact on the neighboring community.
Dr. Payton passed in 2001 at the age of 75.
Source: Little Known Black History Fact: Carolyn L. Robertson
Recent Comments