As part of our Women of New Orleans blog series we will be highlighting the life and accomplishments of Daisy F. Young.
Young was born on May 29, 1902, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She graduated from Straight College (now Dillard University) and worked as an elementary school teacher in the New Orleans Public Schools. Later, she became a staff member of Keystone Life Insurance Company (later the Atlanta Life Insurance Company) and managed her husband's dental office.
She married Dr. Andrew Young Sr., also from New Orleans, and had two sons: Andrew Jr. and Walter. The correspondence within her collection describes candid moments between Daisy, her husband, and her sons, who were fighting to find their own places in the world apart from their parents. The struggles experienced by Young’s sons are a strain that echoes across generations. Andrew Young, Jr. often gave his parents advice. He encouraged them to discover ways to serve God and to find their purpose after they became empty nesters and their lives were no longer tied to being parents.
While Daisy F. Young is best known as being the mother of Andrew Young, Jr., she was also an accomplished woman in her own right. She was an active member of Central Congregational Church in New Orleans and served for many years as Co-Chair of the Diaconate. She also served in other community organizations such as the Hume Center, YWCA, and the Lighthouse for the Blind. She was founder and president of the New Orleans chapter of The Links, an advisory board member of United Federal Savings and Loan, and a trustee of Dillard University.
She worked in many political campaigns and earned the reputation of being an effective fundraiser. After moving to Atlanta, she became an associate member of First Congregational Church and assumed a leadership role with Quality Living Services, Inc. Samuel DuBois Cook, the president of Dillard University, established the Daisy Fuller Young Scholarship in 1986 for students in need. Daisy F. Young passed away on December 29, 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia of natural causes. Her funeral services were held in her hometown of New Orleans. The finding aid for the Daisy F. Young papers can be found here.
Image from the Daisy Young Papers. Images from Amistad’s website, newsletters, and blogs cannot be reproduced without permission.