A00412 - Isaiah Thornton Creswell, Jr., Amherst College Class of 1959, Lenox School (Massachusetts) Graduate, Vanderbilt Law School Degree, Federal Government Employee

 The next name on the Memorial List after Lawrence Rogers Burwell, Amherst College Class of 1959, is Isaiah Thornton Creswell, Jr., Amherst College Class of 1959.  Tony, as he was called during his Amherst days, had an active stay at Amherst.  He was a fine arts major and a member of Masquers.  He also was an athlete who played on the College's soccer, rugby and lacrosse teams.  He also ran on the Outdoor Track team.  He joined the Theta Delta Chi fraternity.  Tony's post-Amherst days were not as noteworthy as his days may have indicated.  His wiki bio reads as follows:

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Isaiah Thornton was born in 1938. He was the son of Isaiah Thornton Creswell and Pearl Winifred Sanders. [1]

In the 1940 census Isiah (age 1) was the son of Isiah Thornton in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee.[2]

Attended prep school in Massachusetts, attended Amherst College, studied law at Vanderbilt University. He worked in the area of civil rights in private practice before moving to Washington DC where he worked for programs under the US Commission of Civil Rights. He ended his career in San Antonio, Texas where he worked for the USAA Life Insurance Company.[3]

Isaiah was single when he died on 12 June 2002 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.[4] Isaiah was in an obituary on 18 June 2002 in Nashville, Tennessee. [3]

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While Tony's obituary is brief, what was not brief was his family connection to his father and his mother who had remarkable careers in Nashville, Tennessee. The following is a notable note on Isaiah Thornton Creswell, Sr.

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Nashville School of the Arts, Nashville, Tennessee - In this Black History Moment, I want to take time and talk about Isaiah T. Creswell Senior. Born in Mississippi, Creswell's journey began with his education at Fisk University, where he laid the groundwork for his remarkable career of breaking barriers. Creswell made his name known in Nashville history as the first African American to serve on the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education. 

Appointed by Mayor Beverly Briley in 1966, Creswell's appointment was not just a personal triumph but a monumental step towards inclusivity and representation in the educational landscape of Nashville. Over the course of 12 years, Creswell's dedication and vision propelled him to become the board's first African American chairman in 1978, a testament to his leadership and commitment to educational excellence for all. 

Creswell's impact extended far beyond his tenure on the board. Isaiah T. Creswell Sr. passed in 1992, being survived by his wife, and 2 children. In 2006, the already created Wharton Arts Middle Magnet School moved locations to the old Nashville School of the Arts campus and remained Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School of the Visual and Preforming Arts. 

As we commemorate Black History Month, Isaiah T. Creswell Sr.'s mark on Nashville's educational landscape serves as a poignant reminder of the resilience, perseverance, and boundless potential within every individual, regardless of race or background. His legacy continues to inspire generations, reminding us of the transformative power of education and the enduring pursuit of equality. 

 

Written by Kelvin Graves 

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and another note about his mother, Pearl Winifred Sanders Creswell

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Greenwood Hero #118 – PEARL WINIFRED SANDERS CRESWELL

July 6, 1912 – January 23, 1994

Fisk Alumna Pearl Sanders and her husband, University Comptroller Isaiah T. Creswell, lost their young daughter soon after artist Georgia O’Keeffe donated part of Alfred Stieglitz’s extensive art collection to the university. Fisk President Charles S. Johnson, also mourning a lost daughter, appointed Pearl Creswell curator of the collection, perhaps partly to help assuage her grief. Creswell served as curator from the 1949 opening of the Van Vechten Gallery until 1990, often working directly with O’Keeffe, who personally oversaw the restoration of the collection during the early 1970s. Mrs. Creswell, a “golden soror” of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, served on the boards of the NAACP, the Nashville Institute for the Arts, the Cultural Affairs Committee of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Tennessee Arts Commission Friends of the Arts, and the John Work III Memorial Foundation. She was president of the Nashville Fisk Alumni Association and the first woman to serve on the vestry of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

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All in all, a rather remarkable family all the way around

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins

Class of 1975

August 1, 2025