Ellen M. Hudson

Miss Ellen Matilda Hudson, 91, of Decatur died Thursday, September 15, 2005.  She was born October 3, 1915, in Atlanta, GA and attended I. N. Ragsdale Elementary, Joe Brown Jr. High and Atlanta Girl's High.  She received a gold medal in music at Joe Brown High graduation.  An A. B. Degree in languages was received from Tift College, where she was awarded three and a half years of scholarships in piano and organ.  Today there is an Ellen Hudson Organ Scholarship Fund at Tift College, now a part of Mercer University.  She is a past president of the Atlanta chapter of the Tift Alumnae Association.  A Master's Degree in music and music education was earned at Columbia University, New York. Post graduate work in education was earned at Columbia University, Georgia State, and the University of Georgia, after which she received a Life Professional Certificate in Teaching from the State of Georgia.  Ellen has taught in the primary grades for 43 years; one year in Nelson, Georgia, and 42 years in the Atlanta Schools.  For thirteen years she taught music at Kirkwood School, where her seventh graders presented full length operettas each year for ten years, and produced The Nutcracker Suite in its entirety on W. S. B. T. V.  The last thirteen years, she taught the first grade at Moreland School, where she was on the Bi-Centennial Committee for a year and a half, and directed a children's program which was presented to the Atlanta Board of Education, later taped, and shown on T.V. 30, prime time.  For three years she was the school representative for United Appeal.  In the year 1977- 1978 Moreland School elected Miss Hudson "Teacher of the Year", after which she was made "Teacher of the Year" for area IV making her one of the top 4 out of 3800 teachers.  A plaque and resolutions were presented by the Atlanta Board of Education on T.V., and a special luncheon was given with board members, Dr. Alonzo Crim, School Superintendent, Dr. Benjamin Mays, President of the Board, and Dr. Ernest Boyer, United States Commissioner of Education.  A banquet was given at the Marriott by American Association of Education for the Teachers of the Year.  Ellen was a member of the A.A.E., G.E.A. and N.E.A. for approximately 37 years, during which time she was the G.E.A. convention organist for two years, playing at the City Auditorium.  Miss Hudson was the president of the Decatur Business Professional Women's Association the years 1969-1970, and 1977- 1978.  During this time she was a member of the DeKalb County Task Force Study Three, which was an in-depth study of the DeKalb County government, and recommendations were presented to the State Legislature.  She attended Gov. George Busby's luncheon for his Commission on Safety.  She attended the National Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., where she was a guest at a White House reception, and met and photographed our First Lady, Rosalyn Carter.  She also visited Senator Herman Talmadge, Senator Strom Thurman, and Rep. Wyche Fowler, taking photographs of each. (What a scrapbook).  Ellen was a member of Rich's Business Women's Board for two years, was also a member of P3 Club, Metro Atlanta, and the Atlanta President's Council.  She received a 500 hour certificate for volunteer work at the V.A. Hospital.   For 33 years Ellen has been a member of the Atlanta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.  She was previously the youth organist for the Baptist World Alliance, organist at several Georgia Baptist Conventions, and guest organist for the Georgia Baptist Hospital for ten years. She was a church organist for thirteen years at Jackson Hill Baptist, Grace Methodist, and Moreland Avenue Baptist Churches.  She was a staff organist on W. G. S. T. for eight years, trained and sang in a trio on W. S. B. for four years, and became one of the first musicians to be paid in the history of W. S. B.   She was a meditation organist in the Decatur First Baptist, where her membership was.  She was on the special committee to acquire the Holtkamp Organ, and was also a member of the Adelphia Sunday School class, and for twenty years pianist for an adult assembly.  Her hobbies were photography, where she took pictures of six Georgia Governors, President of the United States, many countries, family and friends.  She traveled 24 countries, 42 states, and went on six cruises.  Ellen enjoyed reading historical novels and mysteries. She loved to practice the piano and organ, and listening to music.  She retired from the Atlanta School system after 43 years of teaching on September 1, 1980 and began as a Para Professional Fifth Avenue School in the Decatur School system as of August 26th, which must be the shortest retirement on record.  She was Woman of the Week, DeKalb News Sun, 1983, president of the A.A. R. P., Decatur Chapter, 500 Member Chapter, 1984 and published "Secrets", a poetry book of 100 poems. She was listed in "Who's Who in the United States" Writers, Editors and Poets,1988, listed in the "International Directory of Outstanding Leadership" for outstanding leadership as a Teacher, Organist, Pianist and Poet, 1989, Published "Rippling Rhythms", a cassette of religious piano music, 1991, awarded "Poet of Merit" by the International Society of Poetry, Washington DC convention, received an honorary degree of music from Mercer University, Tift College, 1992, and presented an award by Tift College of Mercer University for the permanent annual Organ Scholarship, which she established in 1970, to be given to a deserving organ student.   Miss Hudson is survived by her nephew, Clay S. Hudson and family of Eatonton, GA, and great niece, Clay Anne Hudson of Statesboro, GA.  Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, September 19th at Westview Cemetery.  A. S. Turner & Sons