By Marilyn Miller
Beacon Journal staff writer
For those who knew her, Ann Lane Gates was affectionately known as Mama Gates, in part because she opened her heart and door to everyone.
Mrs. Gates, who became an iconic figure among educators and community activists, died Saturday at Summa Akron City Hospital with her family by her side. She was 92.
Mrs. Gates, who spent 30 years with the Akron Public Schools, was the first African-American woman to get a teaching contract at the high school level in Akron. She also served on more than 60 community boards and organizations during her lifetime, several of which she was either a charter member, the first female or first African-American member.
Mrs. Gates, a Central State University graduate, was noted for her tireless work and her willingness to extend a helping hand to lead many young people in the right direction.
Mrs. Gates shaped the lives of many — including sons Clifford Gates Jr. and Larry Gates.
“She was my heart. Her love was unconditional. She supported me in everything I did and gave me self-confidence. She was my biggest fan. She made it to all of my basketball and baseball games growing up,” said Larry Gates. “She was my inspiration. I have no shame in admitting that I was a mama’s boy.”
He said it’s proudly written on his headstone in the family plot, “Mama’s Baby Boy.”
Born in Philadelphia, Mrs. Gates received her master’s degree in education at the University of Akron. She forged an unbreakable union with her college sweetheart, Clifford Gates Sr. They were married 52 years. He died in 2000. Her older son, the late Clifford Jr., died in 2004.
Mrs. Gates had three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Her work affected generations of families in this community and beyond.
Elmore Banton, a former track and field coach at Ohio University, credited much of his early success to Mrs. Gates. He first met her in the early 1960s at Central High School, where she was a physical education teacher.
“It was great that she was there because she was the only black teacher at Central High School at the time,” Banton said. “That was something in itself. She caught my attention right away and I simply admired her for who she was.
“In 1970, I was Akron youth coordinator for two days when I got a telegram from the Department of Labor saying Akron was awarded $6 million to $8 million for its summer programs for youth employment and recreation. I first thought, ‘what the heck am I going to do with this?’
“Mrs. Gates was at the board of education, and she did a lot of job programs,” Banton added. “I called her up, and she said ‘come on down honey child, and she whipped together some papers and helped me put together a program. … It’s no exaggeration to say she saved my job while making it possible for hundreds of kids to get jobs.’’
Start as caseworker
Mrs. Gates began her career as a caseworker for the Cook County Bureau of Welfare in Chicago in 1947. She then came to Akron in 1951 as a substitute teacher with the Akron Public Schools. Mrs. Gates then served as director of a girls and high school youth program in Gary, Ind., in 1953. She returned to Akron as a group worker and supervisor at the East Akron Community House in 1955, as their first African-American hire.
She was also an assistant counselor at Akron Central High School. At the same time, she served as a part-time group worker with the Akron Community Service Center and Urban League, where she organized the first girls’ basketball league.
Mrs. Gates was at the forefront of the War on Poverty movement in Akron, directing the Youth Corps, supervising the Head Start Pre-Kindergarten Program, Neighborhood Youth Corp, Adult Basic Education, Evening High School Scholarship Program, Lane South Community School and the Supervised Study Program.
In 1965, Mrs. Gates moved into the central administration office as a resource teacher and special services administrator under Superintendent Conrad Ott.
“She took me under her wing, mothered me and exposed me to interactions and legislation and government,” said her secretary, Beverly Wooldridge. “She didn’t sweat the small stuff. She worked on one crisis after another and one good program to another. She was a real difference-maker.”
Many firsts
Despite her myriad of contributions, Mrs. Gates was largely proud of her work within the community. It was her passion to enhance the quality of life for others.
“It was a constant inspiration to see how she engaged people,” said the Rev. Curtis A. Minter Sr. of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in South Akron.
Mrs. Gates was the first president of the Metro Regional Transit Authority Board and also served on boards of United Way, Akron General Medical Center, the Akron Community Foundation and the National All American Soap Box Derby.
At Akron Summit Community Action Inc., she served multiple terms as vice president on the board of trustees and was instrumental in negotiation efforts with the Office of Economic Opportunity in the critical mid-1970s.
Mrs. Gates, a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and NAACP, co-founded the Akron Alliance of Black School Educators and served as its first president. She established the Minority Outreach Committee of the Akron Symphony Orchestra and served as chairperson for seven or more Gospel Meets Symphony concerts. She was an active member of Centenary United Methodist Church for more than 60 years.
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com or Follow her on Twitter@MarilynMillerBJ