The City of Olive Branch has a rich history with many notable residents. At the February 4th meeting, Mayor Ken Adams and the Board of Aldermen will unveil the newest addition to the City Hall Museum honoring the accomplishments of Olive Branch native Judge Bernice Bouie Donald.
Judge Donald is an alumna of Olive Branch High School where she graduated as an honor student. She was among the first African Americans in DeSoto County to attend during school integration in 1970 during Judge Donald's Junior year.
Prior to School Integration, East Side High School in Olive Branch was once an all-black high school. It is now the campus of Olive Branch Intermediate School. In 2018, a Mississippi historical marker for East Side High was placed on the school site. East Side High School was notable in its list of distinguished graduates that includes Leon Gray, who played in the NFL for the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints and Mark Guy, who played in the Arena Football League.
Judge Donald has continued to have a life full of historic "firsts." She was the first member of her family to graduate from college; first African American female judge in the history of Tennessee (1982); first female bankruptcy judge in Tennessee (1988); first African American female bankruptcy judge in the history of the United States; first African American female federal judge in Tennessee (1995) as appointed by President Bill Clinton; first African American female judge to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals appointed by President Barack Obama (2011); the first African American female officer of the 400,000 member American Bar Association; and on October 19th, 2024 the City of Memphis designated Front Street between Poplar Avenue and Beale Street as “Judge Bernice Bouie Donald Street.” Honorary signs were installed along the route to pay tribute to her trailblazing career.
To learn more about the history of other residents and the City of Olive Branch, please be sure to visit the City Hall Museum during regular business hours, Monday-Friday 8am till 5pm. It is located on the first floor. You can find composites from East Side High School and learn about Kent Sessom and his contributions to our City's utility infrastructure-- just to name a few!