Dr. Alice Holloway Young Interviews

Alice Holloway Young was born on September 29, 1923 in Virginia, the youngest of 7 children. Her family soon moved to Warrenton, North Carolina, where she grew up on a farm and graduated valedictorian of her high school class. She attenede Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina and attained a bachelor’s degree in childhood development and family relations.

Dr. Young's first job after college was in a migrant camp in Poolville, North Carolina, where she eatablished a childcare center. She married She married James Young in 1946, and moved to Rochester to take a position as a substitute teacher in 1952. She rapidly rose through the school district's ranks, becoming the first African-American to be a reading specialist, vice principal and principal in the Rochester City School District. She was also the District's first Title I director, and wrote and supervised the district's initial integration plans (including the Urban Suburban Program).

Young continued her education after moving to Rochester. She obtained a Master's Degree in 1957 and a Doctorate in Education in 1969, both from the University of Rochester. She also played a role in extending opportunities for higher education in the Rochester area, serving as a founding trustee of Monroe Community College. Appointed to this position in 1961, she served on the Board of Trustees for over 40 years, including serving as Chair from 1978 to 1998. She received numerous honors in her career, culminating in the New York State Senate’s Liberty Medal in 2021. She was also involved with many community organizations, and was a warden of St. Luke and St. Simon Cyrene Episcopal Church.