User:Queen of Hearts/Drafts/Florence Saunders Farley

Florence Saunders Farley (May 28, 1928 – August 28, 2022) was...

Early life
Farley was born in Roanoke, Virginia, on May 28, 1928, to Neoda and Stacious Saunders. She went to Harrison Elementary School in Roanoke and graduated from Lucy Addison High School in 1948. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's in educational psychology from Virginia State College in 1950 and 1954, respectively. In 1951, she joined the Women's Army Corps as a second lieutenant, becoming the first female African-American trainer at Fort Lee.

Career
Farley was the first licensed African-American psychologist in the state of Virginia. She was the Chief Psychologist at Central State Hospital before joining Virginia State, becoming the chair of the department of psychology. She recieved a Ph.D. in psychology from Kent State University in 1977.

In 1973, Farley was elected to the Petersburg City Council, becoming the first female member of the council and a member of the first majority-black city council in Virginia. After the resignation of then-mayor R. Wilson Cheely, Farley became the mayor of Petersburg, becoming the first African-American mayor of a Virginia city.

Later life and death
Farley was a member of the Petersburg School Board from 2002 to 2006, serving as vice chair. She was also a textile artist, showing her work to Virginia libraries and museums.

Farley died on August 28, 2022, at the age of 94.