Elaine Johnson Coates, the first Black woman graduate of the University of Maryland, passed away on February 14. She was 88 years old.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Coates attended segregated public schools and graduated with honors from Frederick Douglass High School. In 1955, she enrolled at the University of Maryland, College Park. She was the first person in her family to attend college and one of seven Black students admitted to the university. However, she was the only Black student in her class to persist to graduation, ultimately earning her bachelor’s degree in education in 1959.
After graduating, Coates began teaching at Frederick Douglass High School but soon transitioned her career to social work. She received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and obtained her certification as a licensed certified social worker. Coates went on to provide social services to pediatric and adult trauma patients at Johns Hopkins Hospital until her retirement in 2006.
In 2020, the University of Maryland awarded Coates an honorary doctorate in public service. Two years later, the College Park campus established Johnson-Whittle Hall, a residence hall named for Coates and Hiram Whittle, the first Black undergraduate student admitted to the university. The university’s College of Education also established the Elaine Johnson Scholarship in her honor.
