Mrs. Lessie Givens has touched the lives of many children in Taylor over the years.
Often referred as a Taylor treasure, former students and colleagues have described her as kind, sweet, a mentor, an inspiration, a blessing, a favorite teacher and a true professional.
“Lessie was a mentor and an inspiration to me when I started teaching in 1969,” said longtime Taylor teacher, Judy Schroeder.
“She was my mentor and I just love her,” said Leslie Hill, one of Givens’ former second grade students. “It takes a village, and she was part of our village. I wanted to dress like her and to be just like her.”
Givens taught at several Taylor Independent School District campuses, including O. L. Price, Southside, Northside and Taylor Middle schools.
Last week, at age 96, she returned to the Northside campus to film an interview with longtime friends Don and Leslie Hill about her life and career.
“I decided I wanted to be a school educator because I had some teachers that I admired when I was in school, and I thought maybe I could imitate them,” Givens recalled. “I went to Sulphur Springs first as an English major, then I decided to change my major and returned to Prairie View and took elementary education.”
Afterwards, Givens was hired by Principal V. A. Anthony to teach at O. L. Price school in Taylor, a campus that served African American students until the late 1960s.
“When I came into the classroom, I just loved all the children,” said Givens. “I am very pleased that I came to Taylor. I found the people very friendly and the families that I visited were very friendly and cooperative.”
During her time at O. L. Price, Mrs. Givens trained speakers for interscholastic league competition at the city, county and surrounding areas, winning most of the contests.
She also sponsored Brownies and Girl Scouts, served as director for the Teenage Club, and helped organize school plays, dances, field trips and other activities. She enjoyed attending football games, band presentations and other activities involving her students.
It was also during her time at O. L. Price that she met her husband, Jerry Givens, who served as a teacher and band director.
“When he came to Taylor, there were friends who were introducing him to some other teachers, and he asked about the little red-haired teacher,” said Givens. “So, we met and enjoyed our friendship for a long time and eventually decided to get married. We were married for 37 years.”
Mr. and Mrs. Givens were both known for supporting students with whatever they needed to succeed.
“I remember times when children wouldn’t have lunches, and I had children who needed clothes and shoes and we would pay for those things,” Mrs. Givens said. “We would get the bill for band instruments because Jerry didn’t want students to drop out of band because they couldn’t afford the instruments. One time when it was cold, he came in without his coat. When I asked him about it, he said there was a little boy walking home in the cold without a coat, so he gave his coat to him.”
After integration, Mrs. Givens was assigned to Southside school with principal Rowena Stone, then later went to Northside school with principal Dawn Mayers. There she became a certified bilingual teacher and served as unit leader. She also taught at Taylor Middle School, and at one time she was recorded on video for training other teachers.
Dr. James Lee Dickey became Mrs. Givens doctor after she moved to Taylor, and she became friends with his wife. Mrs. Dickey was the president of the Welfare Workers Club, a community service organization. Givens became active in the group, later serving as president for 18 years. She was also active with the community center which now bears both of their names, the Dickey-Givens Community Center.
Mrs. Dickey has also been active in her church all through the years, serving in every possible role. At age 95, she passed her driving test and enjoyed driving around her neighborhood. She is currently recovering from a couple of recent falls, and is getting stronger each day. Reflecting on her life and career, she has many good memories that make her smile.
“Life in Taylor has been beautiful, and I don’t regret a year that I’ve been here,” she said. “I am very pleased to see former students and all they have accomplished. I tried to give them my very best, and I was always pleased when students recall back to the times they had in my room, the things they learned and that they were happy to stay in contact with me. I felt that I had done something that had helped them in life.”
Taylor ISD plans to share the video interview of Lessie Givens life and career this week.
