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Inspirational Piece

First in Leadership, First

in Service: Edith Warren,

“Education’s Friend Indeed”

By Kaye Dotson and Phyllis Broughton

One of the benefits of DKG membership is being able to meet and work with
inspiring leaders. This article celebrates one such woman, who strongly promoted
the need to serve and the need to take part—especially by exercising one’s right to

vote and serving politically. Edith Warren would encourage
all to take part in whatever capacity possible.

Edith Warren was a beloved and respected charter member of
Beta Upsilon Chapter in Region 1 of North Carolina State
Organization. When Warren accepted membership in Delta
Kappa Gamma in 1966, she made a lifelong commitment
to the cause of advancing women educators and leaders—a
commitment that she would fully fulfill. She was a
visionary, tenacious, energetic leader who continuously
inspired her colleagues across the state. During her lifetime,
Warren epitomized a passionate commitment to public
education and to public service. Warren advised members
of her Beta Upsilon chapter to “give something back to the
community.” She also advised new and future leaders to have
“an open mind, an open heart, and to look for opportunities to
serve.” She died November 11, 2023, at the age of 86, leaving a
legacy of dedication to education and service to one’s community.
Warren was the “first” to hold many roles during her time of
service. She became the first woman to serve as a full-time principal in Pitt
County Schools, Greenville, North Carolina. She was the first woman elected to the Pitt County Board
of Commissioners and the first woman elected to represent District 8 in the North Carolina House of
Representatives, where she served 14 years before her retirement in 2012.
Warren fully embraced opportunities for service: from teaching, to administration, to the legislature.
She taught first grade initially, then earned a master’s degree and became an elementary school principal
at Sam Bundy School in Farmville, North Carolina. She worked on the local level in her classroom and
later in her school district as an administrator. Upon retirement from teaching and administration, Warren
continued to serve in government. Warren realized that much of what impacted schools and education
happened in the government beyond those entities. She knew teachers and students needed a strong
advocate in this governing arena to bring attention to key education issues, and she knew she was the
woman for the job. She served first as a county commissioner, then filled a seat in the general assembly.
Her example serves to provide a blueprint for other women who might wish to continue service, using the
skills and knowledge they have to reach the ends they deem important.

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