Mary Scales

{{Infobox person

| name = Mary C. Scales

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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|9|24}}

| birth_place = Columbus, Georgia

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|10|6|1928|9|24}}

| death_place = Murfreesboro, Tennessee

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| resting_place = Evergreen Cemetery

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| nationality = American

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| education = B.S. Tennessee State University
Master's MTSU

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| occupation = Educator

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| employer = Murfreesboro City Schools
MTSU
Tennessee Department of Education

| organization = Murfreesboro City School Board
Murfreesboro City Council

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| spouse = Robert W. Scales

| children = Madelyn Scales Harris

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Mary Caruthers Scales (September 24, 1928 – October 6, 2013) was a professor, civic leader, and funeral home owner. She was the first black faculty member at Middle Tennessee State University where she taught in the College of Education, and became associate dean there.{{cite web|last=Bragg|first=Tommy|title=Proclamation Honoring Mary Caruthers Scales|url=http://murfreesboro.com/news/local-news/proclamation-honoring-mary-caruthers-scales/|publisher=City of Murfreesboro|date=October 12, 2013|access-date=5 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715055147/http://murfreesboro.com/news/local-news/proclamation-honoring-mary-caruthers-scales/|archive-date=15 July 2015|url-status=dead}} Prior to this she had been a school teacher at Bradley and Bellwood schools. She was later elected to the Murfreesboro City School Board, and to the Murfreesboro City Council as the first African-American female councilperson.{{cite news|last=De Gennaro|first=Nancy|title=Mary Scales remembered at her life celebration|url=http://archive.theleafchronicle.com/article/D4/20131013/NEWS01/310130044/Mary-Scales-remembered-her-life-celebration|access-date=5 May 2015|newspaper=The Tennessean (online)|date=October 12, 2013}}^{[subscription]}^{[subscription]} Scales Elementary School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee is named in honor of her and her husband, Robert W. Scales.{{cite web|last=Anon.|title=About Scales Elementary School|url=http://www.scaleselementary.net/news___pics/about_scales|publisher=Murfreesboro City Schools|date=May 5, 2015|access-date=5 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423094021/http://www.scaleselementary.net/news___pics/about_scales|archive-date=23 April 2015|url-status=dead}} Her husband, Robert W. Scales was the first African-American elected to the Murfreesboro City Council and first African-American Vice-Mayor of the city.

Life and career

Mary Scales was born in Columbus, Georgia, and raised in Chicago, Illinois.{{cite news|last=Vaughn|first=Ralph|title=Scales legacy continues with new generation|url=http://www.murfreesboropost.com/scales-legacy-continues-with-new-generation-cms-33950|access-date=5 May 2015|newspaper=The Murfreesboro Post (thepost, online)|date=January 6, 2013}}

Mary Scales attended Knoxville College, received her bachelor's degree from Tennessee State University, and her Master's from Middle Tennessee State University.

Mary Scales began her career as a school teacher, and supervisor of instruction in middle school math at Bradley & Boxwood middle schools. She then worked in the Murfreesboro City Schools Administration before being hired at MTSU's education department as an associate professor then full professor as the first black faculty member at MTSU. She would later go on to become association dean of continuing education, and a math specialist with the Tennessee Department of Education.{{cite news|last=Hart|first=Jimmy|title=MTSU community mourns loss of trailblazer Mary C. Scales |url=http://mtsunews.com/mtsu-mourns-loss-of-mary-scales/|access-date=5 May 2015|newspaper=Middle Tennessee State University News (online)|date=October 7, 2013}}

Mary Scales a founding member of the Pi Nu Omega and served as advisor to Eta Psi chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha at Middle Tennessee State University.Bill Ketron, and Jim Tracy, Thelma Harper, Co-Sponsors, 2014, "Tennessee Senate Resolution 67: A Resolution to Honor the Memory of Mary C. Scales of Murfreesboro," TN SR0067 | 2013-2014 | 108th General Assembly, February 6, 2014, see [http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/108/Bill/SR0067.pdf], [http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SR0067&ga=108] and [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/misc/tga-senate2.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424011342/http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/misc/tga-senate2.pdf|date=2015-04-24}}, accessed 5 May 2015.LegiScan. TN SR0067 | 2013-2014 | 108th General Assembly. 06 February 2014, see [https://legiscan.com/TN/bill/SR0067/2013], accessed May 05, 2015. She was married to Robert "T-90" Scales, owner of the Scales & Sons Funeral Home and the first black city councilperson and vice-mayor of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.Bill Trail, and Thelma Harper, Co-Sponsors, 2001, "Tennessee Senate Joint Resolution 54: A Resolution to honor the memory of Robert Winston "Tee- Niny" Scales of Rutherford County," TN SJR0054 | 2000-2001 | 102nd General Assembly. March 1, 2001, see [http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/102/Bill/SJR0054.pdf], [http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SJR0054&ga=102] and [http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/misc/tga-senate2.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424011342/http://www.tn.gov/tsla/history/misc/tga-senate2.pdf|date=2015-04-24}}, accessed 5 May 2015.Tennessee Secretary of State. TN SJR0054 | 2000-2001 | 102nd General Assembly. 01 March 2001, see [http://www.tn.gov/sos/acts/102/index.htm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150423210939/http://tn.gov/sos/acts/102/index.htm|date=2015-04-23}}, accessed May 05, 2015. She was later herself elected to the Murfreesboro City School Board, and Murfreesboro City Council as the first black woman ever elected. After the passing of Robert "T-Niny" Scales she took over ownership of the Scales & Sons Funeral Home from 2000 to 2012.

Her daughter, Madelyn Scales Harris, was elected to the Murfreesboro City Council in 2010.{{cite news|last=Willard|first=Michelle|title=Service above self: Harris unseats Edwards in city council race|url=http://www.murfreesboropost.com/service-above-self-harris-unseats-edwards-in-city-council-race-cms-22867|access-date=5 May 2015|newspaper=The Murfreesboro Post (thepost, online)|date=25 April 2010}}