Thelma McWilliams Glass, a longtime professor and civil rights pioneer who helped launch the Montgomery Bus Boycott, has died. She was 96.
"The ASU family lost one of its crown jewels today," said President William H. Harris. "Mrs. Glass was the consummate educator, whose life was a shining example of service, courage and commitment. She will be truly missed."
A statement from Alabama State University, where Glass was a professor of geography, says Glass died Wednesday. Glass was one of a group of women who helped launch the bus boycott in Montgomery and bring an end to segregation of public transportation in the South.
She also was secretary of the Women's Political Council, a group that spread the word through the black community in Montgomery about the boycott.
Glass was an educator for 40 years, building a reputation for instilling in her students a desire to learn and become involved in the fight to end racial inequality.
Glass has been quoted as saying that her greatest accomplishment was her time in the classroom. "When it all comes down to it, teaching has given me the greatest satisfaction. If you don't have good teachers, then you're in trouble."
Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. WSFA 12 News contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Thelma McWilliams Glass (Courtesy: Alabama State University)
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