{"689164":{"#nid":"689164","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Celebrating Tech\u2019s First African American Female Graduate: Clemmie Whatley","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhen\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EClemmie Whatley\u003C\/strong\u003E earned her master\u2019s in applied mathematics in 1973, she and her friend\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EGrace Hammonds\u003C\/strong\u003E became the first African American women to graduate from Georgia Tech \u2014 an accomplishment she only learned about decades later.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe certainly didn\u2019t think of ourselves as pioneers,\u201d says Whatley. \u201cWe were just trying to get through.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EToday, Whatley is no longer a hidden figure as she is now recognized for her trailblazing role.\u0026nbsp; She has been honored by the Institute\u2019s\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/celebratingwomen.alumni.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Pathway of Progress\u003C\/a\u003E art installation, Women of Distinction Award, and scholarship endowment established by the Georgia Tech Black Alumni Organization.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs Georgia Tech celebrates Women\u2019s History Month, Whatley\u2019s barrier-breaking legacy is a reminder of how women in STEM expand what\u2019s possible, not only for themselves, but for those who follow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFollowing the math path\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhatley grew up in Chubbtown, a self-sufficient Black community established pre-Civil War in Cave Spring, Georgia. The first Black valedictorian of Cave Spring High School after desegregation, she loved math from an early age. Whatley often tagged along with her father who was always building or fixing something \u2014\u0026nbsp;inspiring her to use numbers to solve problems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe majored in math at Clark (now Clark Atlanta University), graduating magna cum laude. Encouraged to attend a predominantly white institution for graduate school by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJoseph James Dennis\u003C\/strong\u003E, head of Clark\u2019s Mathematics department, Whatley and Hammonds applied to Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u0026nbsp;Tech responded first with an unexpected bonus: a teaching assistantship.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cEarning money to teach math and help pay for school appealed to me,\u201d she shares.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinding her footing at Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEntering the Institute as one of the few Black women on campus came with challenges. Whatley enrolled only nine years after Georgia Tech became the first university in the Deep South to admit African American students without a court order.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019m not sure they wanted us there,\u201d she admits. \u201cBut I wasn\u2019t nervous. I was excited to learn more math \u2014\u0026nbsp;and teach it as well.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAs a graduate teaching assistant, Whatley taught undergraduate calculus, algebra, and trigonometry. Students were often surprised to see her at the front of the classroom, as most instructors were white males. She remembers professors who encouraged her, particularly her advisor Professor Emeritus\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ERobert Kasriel.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cHe believed in me, especially my knowledge of math,\u201d Whatley says. \u201cHe encouraged me to speak up with confidence.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAnother professor pushed her to contest a grade he felt was unfair. She chose instead to stay focused on completing her degree. Despite the obstacles, Whatley remembers her time at Tech fondly. \u201cI really enjoyed the classroom interaction with the undergraduates and teaching subjects I loved.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe appreciates the toughness of the education she received. \u201cGeorgia Tech rewards tenacity. If you can make it through here, you can make it through just about anything \u2014 and that problem\u2011solving confidence stays with you.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChoosing to serve\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter graduation, Whatley joined BellSouth as a junior engineer, working on depreciation studies and writing early computer programs in Basic and Fortran.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI took a class at Morehouse to learn programming. We used ticker tape, punch cards, and computers that took up an entire room,\u201d remembers Whatley.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EShe spent 22 years at BellSouth, earning frequent promotions. Her career shifted into a new direction when she heard a radio request for tutors at Marietta Junior High School. She volunteered and began working with several students, including a middle school girl who still counted on her fingers. Whatley guided her toward more confident problem-solving. \u201cAll she needed was someone to take the time to work with her.\u201ds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ETutoring became a catalyst for change. Motivated by the difference she could make, she left corporate America.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExpanding her impact\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter obtaining certification from Mercer University, she became a high school math teacher. Whatley planned to teach for just three years but stayed for four after her advisement class of ninth graders begged her to stay until they graduated.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ECommitted to expanding her impact, Whatley earned an educational specialist degree from the University of West Georgia and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from Emory University. While at Emory, she began an educational consulting career,\u0026nbsp; launching\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.eddynamix.org\/\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Educational Dynamix,\u003C\/a\u003E a nonprofit firm focused on learning and development for children and educators. Her consulting work also explored the connections between music and mathematics \u2014 helping educators and parents use both to strengthen student learning.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cTeaching math was satisfying,\u201d says Whatley. \u201cI enjoyed going into a class where students \u2014 or their teachers \u2014 didn\u2019t believe in their ability to do math and showing them that they could do it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhatley smiles and clarifies: \u201cWhen I went into education, whether I was working with students, training teachers, or helping make changes in organizational structures, I found my passion. Looking back, hopefully, I made some lives better overall.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ESharing family history\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhatley\u2019s influences are felt beyond the classroom. She is the author of several books, including\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EThe Chubbs: A Free Black Family\u2019s Journey From the Antebellum Era to the Mid-1900s\u003C\/em\u003E, which grew out of her family\u2019s history. Whatley began this research while assisting with media features on her cousin, University of Georgia football star\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003ENick Chubb.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EResearching her family\u2019s story led to a surprising discovery: a crumpled bill of sale for an enslaved girl that her son tucked into her grandmother\u2019s old trunk. That document \u2014 and the stories surrounding it \u2014 propelled her to write the book and preserve Chubbtown\u2019s history for future generations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EReflecting on a legacy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWhatley says faith and family are the most important things in her life. She has been married to her husband, Melvin, for 55 years.\u0026nbsp;Her daughter, son, and several relatives also attended Georgia Tech, with her daughter running track and cross country and her son playing football. \u201cWe\u2019re a Yellow Jacket family with one Bulldog granddaughter,\u201d she says with a smile.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EToday, Whatley is honored to have the recognition that came years after graduation. \u201cWhat I went through wasn\u2019t in vain. It feels good to know that I opened some doors and helped others along the way.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EClemmie Whatley\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Etime studying and teaching math at Georgia Tech laid the groundwork for decades of leadership in classrooms, corporate America, and the community.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Clemmie Whatley\u2019s time studying and teaching math at Georgia Tech laid the groundwork for decades of leadership in classrooms, corporate America, and the community."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-03-24 19:17:04","changed_gmt":"2026-04-10 21:25:51","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-03-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679728":{"id":"679728","type":"image","title":"Clemmie Whatley; then and now","body":"\u003Cp\u003EClemmie Whatley: then and now\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774381412","gmt_created":"2026-03-24 19:43:32","changed":"1774909021","gmt_changed":"2026-03-30 22:17:01","alt":"Two photos of same woman, one older and one younger.","file":{"fid":"263938","name":"best.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/best.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/26\/best.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1269462,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/26\/best.png?itok=uiFZ8mto"}},"679727":{"id":"679727","type":"image","title":"Whatley and Grace Hammonds made history together as the first African American women to graduate from Georgia Tech and have remained lifelong friends.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EWhatley and Grace Hammonds made history together as the first African American women to graduate from Georgia Tech and have remained lifelong friends.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1774380706","gmt_created":"2026-03-24 19:31:46","changed":"1774380706","gmt_changed":"2026-03-24 19:31:46","alt":"Two women smiling","file":{"fid":"263922","name":"ClemmieandGraceIMG_1007.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/24\/ClemmieandGraceIMG_1007_0.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/03\/24\/ClemmieandGraceIMG_1007_0.png","mime":"image\/png","size":6636467,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/03\/24\/ClemmieandGraceIMG_1007_0.png?itok=i6_YFCE3"}}},"media_ids":["679728","679727"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1279","name":"School of Mathematics"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"506","name":"alumni"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}