4 minute read
Barbara Fortenberry Hederman
An Extraordinary Lady
On June 24, 2021, Barbara Fortenberry Hederman peacefully passed away with her daughter Tina by her side. Though saddened by her absence, Jackson Prep will forever hold the deepest affection for Barbara and profound gratitude to her for her life and legacy. Barbara, I know when we meet in heaven, the first thing you say to me will be, “Allyn, tell me what’s going on at Prep.” And I will! Rest in peace.
HUBERT WORLEY
BY ALLYN RAY
Director of Academic Support Services
How many of us can say that the legacy we will leave our community is arguably the finest secondary independent school in the South? Barbara Fortenberry Hederman can proclaim this proudly. Even at age 92, with a twinkle in her eyes, Barbara recently said to me, “Allyn, Jackson Prep was my first grandchild.” And this is how the story goes.
In the fall of 1969, when driving home to Jackson from a dental convention on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Barbara and her husband, Dr. Marshall Fortenberry, were discussing the education of their three children, Lisa, Tina, and John. Both desired an excellent college preparatory education for their children. Barbara recalls looking at Marshall and saying, “Why don’t we start a school?” With that simple question and proposal, a creative whirlwind of collaboration and labor among a group of like-minded parents began.
In retrospect, Barbara pioneered educational pursuits as a young woman. Educated in Jackson public schools, she attended Draughn’s Business School and earned a business degree. Inspired by her love of the TV show Perry Mason, however, Barbara determined to be a lawyer. Encouraged by Standard Oil, her employer, she enrolled in the Jackson School of Law in 1950, one of only three female students at that time. In 1952 Barbara not only passed the Mississippi Bar Exam, becoming one of the first women to do so, but also posted a very high score.
Although fully credentialed and poised to become the first female Perry Mason in Jackson’s law community, Barbara put aside that dream for what she now considers a loftier journey. On a double date on the roof of the Heidelberg Hotel, she met a young dentist, Dr. Marshall Fortenberry, and within the year they were married; a year later they welcomed a daughter, Lisa. Three years later, a second daughter, Tina, was born, and in 1959, the birth of John Fortenberry put a period on the Fortenberry family.
Barbara devoted her time and energy to the care of her family, church, and community, always keenly attentive to the importance of an excellent education both for her own children and all children in the capital city. It is thus not hard to imagine that, in 1969, a group of men and women passionate about exceptional education assembled in the living room of Barbara and Marshall Fortenberry, at 1215 Belvoir Place, and dreamed a dream… Jackson Preparatory School. This fearless, focused group of men and women, in the short span of a few months, planned a secondary independent school. A corporation was formed, and stock was sold to those families wishing to enroll. Barbara led the drive, joining other families to raise money through bake sales, garage sales, and raffles. Land was secured on Lakeland Drive, and construction of the school began. Barbara relates that the weekend before Prep opened its doors, she and her family, along with Mr. Jesse Howell (our first Head of School) and his son Lee, cleaned the school to prepare it for the inaugural student body. When the doors opened in September of 1970, 648 students in grades 9-12 blessed the classrooms of Jackson Prep. The school flourished, adding a junior high building and more athletic facilities its second year. In 1979-80, an auditorium was built, aptly named the Marshall M. Fortenberry Auditorium in recognition of the school’s founder and first chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Barbara Fortenberry Hederman—lady, lawyer, leader, servant, mother, grandmother—a true Patriot—continues to follow “all things Prep” from her Belhaven home. Adored by many, she is described in flattering terms by her children and grandchildren. “An amazing woman…strong, independent, elegant, and kind,” says Lisa, class of 1971. John, class of 1977, emphasizes her “surprisingly sharp wit and keen sense of humor.” Tess, John’s daughter, age 16, calls her grandmother, “a real lady.” Chance, John’s 14-yearold son, recalls how, “Gamma read many books to me.” But I think daughter Tina, class of 1974, sums it up perfectly: “[Barbara’s] excitement, curiosity, and adventure—her genuine love and concern—helped create a school of higher learning. A school that she thought of—a school that she imagined and that my father made happen—a school called Jackson Prep.”
Barbara Fortenberry Hederman, your first grandchild— Jackson Prep—says a heartfelt THANK YOU!
FORTENBERRY THEATRE
HUBERT WORLEY
