Irene Pace Hairston
Irene Pace Hairston, a WSSU alumna, former board trustee, and strong supporter of Winston-Salem State University, died Thursday, June 17, 2010. She was 96 years old.
Her memorial service was held June 22, at Goler Metropolitan AME Zion Church in Winston-Salem.
Hairston was a dedicated educator for more than four decades. She was not only an educator but a dedicated civil servant as well. She served as a member of the city/county planning board for 16 years from 1980 to 1996.
After graduating from Columbia Heights High School, she enrolled at what was then Winston-Salem Teacher’s College.
Her parents’ house burned down, and Hairston left school with a two-year teaching certificate. She taught school for a few years so that she could earn money to help her parents rebuild their home. Then, she went back to college and earned a bachelor’s at WSSU and then a master’s degree from N.C. A&T State University.
When Winston-Salem State’s nursing program was in danger of losing its accreditation in 1989, Hairston is widely credited with saving the program. As a member of the WSSU Board of Trustees, she used the connections she made in the school system and as a community volunteer to get the ear of politicians and decision makers to save the program.
Hairston also served as member of the Winston-Salem Urban League Board of Directors. For her service, she received the League’s Community Service Award.
Because of her attention to community development concerns, the needs of small businesses, and individuals in need of help in the community, she was named “Woman of the Year” by the Winston-Salem Chronicle in 1992.
In recognition of her unwavering support of her alma mater, Hairston was awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters degree by WSSU in 1993.
