Dr. Alice Holloway Young, first Black principal in RCSD, dies at age 100

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Dr. Alice Holloway Young, a longtime educator who became the first Black vice principal and principal in the Rochester City School District, has died. She was 100.

Born in North Carolina, Dr. Young earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Rochester. When she began working for RCSD in 1952, she was among the district’s first Black teachers.

Young also became a founding member of the Monroe Community College trustee board, which she chaired for 20 years. She also supervised RCSD’s first integration programs including the Urban Suburban program.

The RCSD renamed its middle school on Adams Street as the Dr. Alice Holloway Young School of Excellence in 2021. The same year, she received the highest honor from the New York State Senate for her impact on education in Rochester and Monroe County.

Young’s memorial service will be on Saturday, June 1 at 1 p.m. at the MCC Brighton campus. Mayor Malik Evans shared this statement about Young’s legacy:

“Dr. Alice Holloway Young was a true pioneer whose courage, love, and commitment to provide an outstanding education for all Rochesterians has left an everlasting impact on our community. She played a transformative role in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children and adults, improving equitable access to education, and encouraging those in underrepresented ethnic and racial groups to become teachers and leaders in our schools. I offer my deepest condolences to her family. It was an honor to know this pioneer who opened so many doors for Rochester residents. I count it as a blessing to have known Dr. Holloway Young.”