Mrs. Jessie Whaley Maxwell, the first African-American school principal in Denver Public Schools and the state of Colorado, passed on Friday, July 26.

Mrs. Maxwell recently became ill and was hospitalized for a short time before her death in Santa Monica, California.

Services for Mrs. Maxwell will take place on Saturday, August 3 at the Zion Baptist Church (933 E. 24th Ave. Denver, CO 80205) beginning at 10 a.m. Mrs. Maxwell served at Zion Baptist Church for 20 years as director, organist and pianist.

Mrs. Maxwell's life-long dedication to education and students inspired the naming of a new elementary school in the Montbello neighborhood in 1998 - Jessie Whaley Maxwell Elementary School, 14390 E. Bolling Drive.

Mrs. Maxwell was born on October 9, 1909 in Mansfield, Louisiana. She attended Northwest Institute, a Baptist affiliate school, where her father was president and her mother taught English and music.

Mrs. Maxwell is the widow of the late Hulett A. Maxwell, who was the first African-American pharmacist in Denver. Mrs. Maxwell moved to Denver in 1935. She earned a degree in music from the Lamont School of Music (University of Denver), and a master's degree from the University of Denver. The University of Denver later awarded her an honorary doctorate degree.

From 1942 to 1975, Mrs. Maxwell served in a variety of capacities in Denver Public Schools including teacher and elementary school principal (at Whittier and Columbine elementary schools). She also worked as an instructor at the University of Denver and Regis College in addition to teaching at the DPS Summer Workshop. She was also co-director at the Regis College Workshop for Teachers of the Disadvantaged and she served as director of a Colorado Department of Publications task force on "Guidelines for Teaching Ethnic History."

Mrs. Maxwell retired from Denver Public Schools in 1972.