Mrs. Gwendolyn Loper celebrates 90th birthday
JANS – On Saturday, August 15, 2020, a parade of cars lined up down and around Livingston Road and Northside Drive to shower Mrs. Gwendolyn Loper with well wishes for her 90th birthday.
Gwendolyn Nero Loper is the daughter and last surviving sibling of 15 children born to the late Malinda and Willis Nero. Born August 17, 1930, in Greenwood, MS; she attended Wesley United Methodist Church, a historical black church where her grandfather was one of the found ing trustees in 1878. After graduating from Greenwood High School in 1946, Mrs. Loper attended Tougaloo College and graduated Cum Laude in 1952 with a major in Sociology. She continued her post-secondary pursuits and completed a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in 1955 from Howard University in Washington, D.C. She has been recognized as a pioneer in the field of Social Work in the State of Mississippi. Her contributions to the community and the state have spanned many decades, as she has been an advocate for social justice, mental health, and the welfare of children and families throughout her professional career.
In celebration of her 90 years of life, Mrs. Loper’s legacy of service to others that, not only improved but, changed lives and paved the way for many others to follow, should also be celebrated.
Gwendolyn Loper’s long term commitment to community and state activism in her profession is evidenced by her many years of service and her many awards and recognitions, far too many to capture here. Among her most notable accomplishments and achievements are the following:
• Became one of the first black Social Workers in the State of Mississippi to hold a graduate degree in social work
• Became the first black Social Worker to be employed at Mississippi’s GV “Sonny” Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 1966, where she worked until her retirement in June 1995
• Became the first black woman to be appointed to a major State Board. She served on the State Board of Mental Health for twenty years, having been appointed by Governor William Waller in 1974, reappointed by Governors William Winter and Bill Allain, and serving there until June 1994
• Became the first black woman to serve as President of the YWCA Board of Directors in 1975, following integration of facilities in Jackson, MS
• Became a charter member of the Jackson National Council of Negro Women, National Association of Social Workers Mississippi’s Chapter, and the Academy of Certified and Licensed Clinical Social Workers of Mississippi (ACSW, LCSW)
• Served as past local President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and selected as Delta Woman of the Year in 1965
• Selected as Tougaloo Alumna of the Year in 1975 and served as past President of the Jackson Tougaloo Alumni Club
• Selected as Social Worker of the Year in the State of Mississippi in 1976
• Recognized in George Sewell’s book, Black History Makers in Mis sissippi, published in 1985
• Inducted into the Tougaloo Na tional Alumni Hall of Fame in 1992
• Honored at the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority National Convention in 1994 as one of 81 Living Legends who have truly made a difference in the lives of others
• Honored in 1995 with the naming of the Gwendolyn Nero Loper Administration Building at the Hudspeth Regional Center for her out standing and dedicated service on Mississippi’s State Board of Mental Health. This recognition highlight ed the first time a building had ever been named for a Social Worker and living legend in the State of Mississippi;
• Received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi Chapter of National Association of Social Workers in March 1997
• Honored by Howard University School of Social Work as an “Outstanding Alumna” in 1998
• Received special recognition for Exemplary Service to the School of Social Work at Jackson State University in 1999
• Received the Presidential “Meritorious Leadership Award” at Tougaloo College in May 2003 for her dedication and service to the citizens of the State of Mississippi
• Recognized in August 2013 as a trailblazer for her contributions in the field of Social Work for the State of Mississippi by the Mary S. Nelums (MSN) Foundation
• Recognized in 2017 as the Tougaloo College Chairman’s Award Honoree for extraordinary leader ship in a project or cause to advance the strategic goals of Tougaloo College
Upon graduation from Howard University, Mrs. Loper moved back to Mississippi to actively participate in the civil rights movement by engaging in projects and civic organizations at the local and national levels. She received various community service and leadership awards for these activist and social action roles, including: Woman Activist Award (1980), Black Woman’s Political Action Community Service Award (1990), Christ-Centered Leadership and Service Award (1995), and the Salt and Pepper Club Community Service Award (1995). She holds lifetime memberships in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Council of Negro Women, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and her beloved alma mater, Tougaloo Col lege National Alumni Association. Mrs. Loper continues to be actively involved with Farish Street Baptist Church (where she has been a member for over 50 years), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Grand Slam Bridge Club, E.B. Topp Circle, and the Jackson Chapter of the Links, Inc. Through her tireless efforts to im prove the quality of life for all people, she has defi ned her life’s purpose and mission as “giving, becoming, and doing”.
Her unwavering love and devotion to her family, especially her grandchildren, has been her crowning attribute and pinnacle of her achievements.
She was married to the late Mr. Melvin Loper and is the mother of 3 children: Rodney (Bobby) Loper, Hubert (Larry) Loper, and Gerrilyn Loper Levy. Mrs. Gwendolyn Loper is also the proud grandmother of 8 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild.
