Museum exhibit on Shirley Sims
By From staff reports
Published in News on March 20, 2016 1:45 AM
MOUNT OLIVE -- The David J. Aaron History Museum at 137 E. Main St. will host a special exhibit on the life and career of Shirley Faison Sims from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 26.
Mrs. Sims' daughters, Muriel Wright and Charletta Evans, and brother, Donald Faison, will be present to explain the exhibit which includes photographs, resolutions, newspaper articles and awards.
The daughter of Paul and Muriel Faison of Mount Olive, Mrs. Sims was a teacher for 14 years and an administrator for 16 years in the Wayne County Public Schools.
In 1966, she became the first minority teacher at Mount Olive Junior High School. She was the first minority female chairman of the Wayne County Board of Education, on which she served for 18 years.
Mrs. Sims received the Order of The Long Leaf Pine and the Raleigh Dingman Award for outstanding service to the children of North Carolina.
She served on the North Carolina state Board of Education.
Mrs. Sims was a charter member of the Mount Olive Area Historical Society and served on its board of directors.
She served on the original Museum Steering Committee and was a generous and faithful supporter of the project.
It is appropriate that the museum pay tribute to one of Mount Olive's most outstanding natives, museum director Ken Dilda said.