Remembering the first African American teacher in San Bernardino County, Dorothy Ella Inghram

Dorothy Ella Inghram.

In celebration of Black History Month, the San Bernardino County Museum would like to highlight Dorothy Ella Inghram, who was the first African American teacher in San Bernardino County, composer of San Bernardino Valley College’s Alma Mater and one of Southern California’s most iconic educators.

Inghram was born in 1905 on 6th Street in San Bernardino. Inghram’s father, Henry, worked as a custodian in the Opera House on Court Street — one of the many places African Americans weren’t allowed to attend.

Inghram began school at Mt. Vernon Elementary in 1911. She later attended Sturges Junior High School and San Bernardino High School, becoming one of 123 students to graduate in 1923.

Music played an important role in Inghram’s life. While attending San Bernardino Valley College from 1928 through 1933, Inghram wrote the music for the hymn that was selected as the college’s alma mater.

Inghram earned an elementary teaching credential in 1939 after student teaching at a school in Highland, and in 1941, Inghram was hired to teach second grade at Mill School — the first African American teacher in San Bernardino County.

Three years later, she became a teaching principal — splitting her duties between the classroom and administration — and became a full-time principal in 1951, a job she thoroughly enjoyed.

Inghram was promoted to district superintendent of Mill School District in 1953 — the first African American in the state of California to hold that position, and somehow also found time to earn a master’s degree in education from the University of Redlands in 1958.

In 1977, one of San Bernardino’s library branches (on the corner of Highland and Western Ave.) was named after her.

At the age of 97, Inghram received an honorary doctorate degree from Cal State San Bernardino. She authored five books over the course of her lifetime: Dear Meg, Improving the Services of Substitute Teachers, Beyond All This, Incredible You and What’s on Your Mind?

In Beyond All This, Inghram documents her family’s drive and determination to succeed during a time when Blacks were not considered an integral part of the community. She recalls how her parents stressed that their children do not carry any bitterness because of the racial tension around them, emphasizing the importance of education and following their own ambitions to become successful.

Inghram passed away in 2012 at the age of 106.

The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child ages 6 to 12). Children five and under and museum members are admitted free. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to people with disabilities. For more information, visit museum.sbcounty.gov or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

The San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional, cultural and natural history and the Museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

Additional County Update News – Feb. 27, 2025