Schoolteacher Florine Jones Abel, 1906 - 1893. University of South Florida Tampa Library still image eng Florine Jones Able at her home. She taught in Manatee County for over 30 years. On September 12, 1980, the Florine J. Able Elementary School at 7100 Madonna Place was named for her. Her career as teacher, principal, supervisior and administrator spanned 43 years. It bridged the time from the racially segregated schools to the modern educational era. She was born in 1906 and brought up in Georgia, beginning school at Albany Normal. Her father died when she was only eight years old. She later attended Ocilla High School. Her mother remarried and she grew up in a family of eleven brothers and sisters and step-siblings. Her teaching career began in Ocilla, where she taught 4th, 5th and 6th grades, earning $32 per month. When she and her husband David came to Manatee County in 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, there were no teaching jobs. So she took her baby and went to Savannah State College, where she earned her teaching degree. She had to work as the night supervisor in a dormetory of 150 girls to earn enough money to continue her education. At graduation she received the Rosenwald Scholarship as one of the 20 most outstanding students in the state. This allowed her to attend Atlanta University for a summer course in school supervision. She then began her career in Manatee County by substitute teaching at Lincoln High School. But her education was later to stand her in good stead. In brief, her career in Manatee County was as a teacher at Memorial High School in 1941, Teaching-principal at Thompson Junior High in Tallevast from 1942 through 1944, then as teacher at Lincoln High School in 1945. Mrs. Abel served as principal of Bradenton Elementary for 14 years, 1945-1959, and had the second largest PTA involvement in the state of Florida. Mrs. Abel became Superintendent of Negro Education in 1959 and served there until 1965 when she became an advisory specialist. She retired in 1971. She went on to complet her Doctorate of Education Degree from the University of Florida in 1980. When the Florine J. Abel Elementary school opened, it had 550 students. By 1984 there were 640 students, ranging from kindergarten to grade 5, in 30 regular classrooms and one portable. Harold Thornton, aged 56 and a native of north Florida, was principal. Like Mrs. Abel, he began his teaching career in Georgia. The building was constructed on ten acres of ground and cost $2,076,460. It was constructed of steel columns for the roof structure, with a masonry and brick exterior. Built in the pod-style, it was carpeted and had air-conditioning. Each pod had 120 children with eight teachers and a team leader teacher. This design was to give children the feeling of a small school while accomodating the county's growing population of school children. Florine Jones Able at her home. She taught in Manatee County for over 30 years. On September 12, 1980, the Florine J. Able Elementary School at 7100 Madonna Place was named for her. Her career as teacher, principal, supervisior and administrator spanned 43 years. It bridged the time from the racially segregated schools to the modern educational era. She was born in 1906 and brought up in Georgia, beginning school at Albany Normal. Her father died when she was only eight years old. She later attended Ocilla High School. Her mother remarried and she grew up in a family of eleven brothers and sisters and step-siblings. Her teaching career began in Ocilla, where she taught 4th, 5th and 6th grades, earning $32 per month. When she and her husband David came to Manatee County in 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, there were no teaching jobs. So she took her baby and went to Savannah State College, where she earned her teaching degree. She had to work as the night supervisor in a dormetory of 150 girls to earn enough money to continue her education. At graduation she received the Rosenwald Scholarship as one of the 20 most outstanding students in the state. This allowed her to attend Atlanta University for a summer course in school supervision. She then began her career in Manatee County by substitute teaching at Lincoln High School. But her education was later to stand her in good stead. In brief, her career in Manatee County was as a teacher at Memorial High School in 1941, Teaching-principal at Thompson Junior High in Tallevast from 1942 through 1944, then as teacher at Lincoln High School in 1945. Mrs. Abel served as principal of Bradenton Elementary for 14 years, 1945-1959, and had the second largest PTA involvement in the state of Florida. Mrs. Abel became Superintendent of Negro Education in 1959 and served there until 1965 when she became an advisory specialist. She retired in 1971. She went on to complet her Doctorate of Education Degree from the University of Florida in 1980. When the Florine J. Abel Elementary school opened, it had 550 students. By 1984 there were 640 students, ranging from kindergarten to grade 5, in 30 regular classrooms and one portable. Harold Thornton, aged 56 and a native of north Florida, was principal. Like Mrs. Abel, he began his teaching career in Georgia. The building was constructed on ten acres of ground and cost $2,076,460. It was constructed of steel columns for the roof structure, with a masonry and brick exterior. Built in the pod-style, it was carpeted and had air-conditioning. Each pod had 120 children with eight teachers and a team leader teacher. This design was to give children the feeling of a small school while accomodating the county's growing population of school children. Abel, Florine Jones United States Florida--Manatee County--Bradenton Manatee County Public Library Historic Photograph Collection
Schoolteacher Florine Jones Abel, 1906 - 1893.
University of South Florida Tampa Library
still image
eng
Florine Jones Able at her home. She taught in Manatee County for over 30 years. On September 12, 1980, the Florine J. Able Elementary School at 7100 Madonna Place was named for her. Her career as teacher, principal, supervisior and administrator spanned 43 years. It bridged the time from the racially segregated schools to the modern educational era. She was born in 1906 and brought up in Georgia, beginning school at Albany Normal. Her father died when she was only eight years old. She later attended Ocilla High School. Her mother remarried and she grew up in a family of eleven brothers and sisters and step-siblings. Her teaching career began in Ocilla, where she taught 4th, 5th and 6th grades, earning $32 per month. When she and her husband David came to Manatee County in 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, there were no teaching jobs. So she took her baby and went to Savannah State College, where she earned her teaching degree. She had to work as the night supervisor in a dormetory of 150 girls to earn enough money to continue her education. At graduation she received the Rosenwald Scholarship as one of the 20 most outstanding students in the state. This allowed her to attend Atlanta University for a summer course in school supervision. She then began her career in Manatee County by substitute teaching at Lincoln High School. But her education was later to stand her in good stead. In brief, her career in Manatee County was as a teacher at Memorial High School in 1941, Teaching-principal at Thompson Junior High in Tallevast from 1942 through 1944, then as teacher at Lincoln High School in 1945. Mrs. Abel served as principal of Bradenton Elementary for 14 years, 1945-1959, and had the second largest PTA involvement in the state of Florida. Mrs. Abel became Superintendent of Negro Education in 1959 and served there until 1965 when she became an advisory specialist. She retired in 1971. She went on to complet her Doctorate of Education Degree from the University of Florida in 1980. When the Florine J. Abel Elementary school opened, it had 550 students. By 1984 there were 640 students, ranging from kindergarten to grade 5, in 30 regular classrooms and one portable. Harold Thornton, aged 56 and a native of north Florida, was principal. Like Mrs. Abel, he began his teaching career in Georgia. The building was constructed on ten acres of ground and cost $2,076,460. It was constructed of steel columns for the roof structure, with a masonry and brick exterior. Built in the pod-style, it was carpeted and had air-conditioning. Each pod had 120 children with eight teachers and a team leader teacher. This design was to give children the feeling of a small school while accomodating the county's growing population of school children.
Florine Jones Able at her home. She taught in Manatee County for over 30 years. On September 12, 1980, the Florine J. Able Elementary School at 7100 Madonna Place was named for her. Her career as teacher, principal, supervisior and administrator spanned 43 years. It bridged the time from the racially segregated schools to the modern educational era. She was born in 1906 and brought up in Georgia, beginning school at Albany Normal. Her father died when she was only eight years old. She later attended Ocilla High School. Her mother remarried and she grew up in a family of eleven brothers and sisters and step-siblings. Her teaching career began in Ocilla, where she taught 4th, 5th and 6th grades, earning $32 per month. When she and her husband David came to Manatee County in 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression, there were no teaching jobs. So she took her baby and went to Savannah State College, where she earned her teaching degree. She had to work as the night supervisor in a dormetory of 150 girls to earn enough money to continue her education. At graduation she received the Rosenwald Scholarship as one of the 20 most outstanding students in the state. This allowed her to attend Atlanta University for a summer course in school supervision. She then began her career in Manatee County by substitute teaching at Lincoln High School. But her education was later to stand her in good stead. In brief, her career in Manatee County was as a teacher at Memorial High School in 1941, Teaching-principal at Thompson Junior High in Tallevast from 1942 through 1944, then as teacher at Lincoln High School in 1945. Mrs. Abel served as principal of Bradenton Elementary for 14 years, 1945-1959, and had the second largest PTA involvement in the state of Florida. Mrs. Abel became Superintendent of Negro Education in 1959 and served there until 1965 when she became an advisory specialist. She retired in 1971. She went on to complet her Doctorate of Education Degree from the University of Florida in 1980. When the Florine J. Abel Elementary school opened, it had 550 students. By 1984 there were 640 students, ranging from kindergarten to grade 5, in 30 regular classrooms and one portable. Harold Thornton, aged 56 and a native of north Florida, was principal. Like Mrs. Abel, he began his teaching career in Georgia. The building was constructed on ten acres of ground and cost $2,076,460. It was constructed of steel columns for the roof structure, with a masonry and brick exterior. Built in the pod-style, it was carpeted and had air-conditioning. Each pod had 120 children with eight teachers and a team leader teacher. This design was to give children the feeling of a small school while accomodating the county's growing population of school children.
Abel, Florine Jones
United States
Florida--Manatee County--Bradenton
Manatee County Public Library Historic Photograph Collection