Mills Matters Alum nominated to UN Human Rights Council On October 21, 2021, President Joe
for protection of fundamental human
Biden announced his intent to nomi-
and political rights,” it described. That
nate Michèle Nichols Taylor ’88 to serve
includes being a board member of the
as the United States representative
National Center for Civil and Human
to the United Nations Human Rights
Rights and serving as its “Power to
Council, a position that carries the rank
Inspire” chair and development chair,
of ambassador during her tenure of ser-
as well as consulting with the White
vice. A statement from the White House
House on the 20th anniversary of
listed some of Taylor’s many accom-
Violence Against Women Act.
plishments and careers: “Taylor has served in a number of roles advocating
In addition to her work in civil rights, Taylor is also a strong antiSemitism advocate. Taylor, whose
NATIONAL CENTER FOR CI V IL AND HUM AN RIGHTS
mother survived the Holocaust, has
Taylor’s 1988 senior portrait
served as a member of the International Holocaust Remebrance Alliance’s
Michèle Nichols Taylor
The nomination does still require
Committee on State Sponsored
confirmation by the Senate Foreign
Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial, and
Relations Committee and the full
the United States Holocaust Memorial
Senate. Taylor, who graduated from
Museum’s Council and Committee on
Mills with a double major in math-
Conscience. She also worked in various
ematics and psychology, later received
roles for the North Carolina Outward
a master’s degree in math from Boston
Bound School for nearly 20 years, where
University. She lives in Atlanta with
she has served on the board and also as
her husband, Kenneth, and she has
an instructor and course director.
two grown children.
Former Professor of Education writes book on school’s history Since 1926, the Mills College Children’s
the first half of the book to foundational
of education, the book was a natural
School (MCCS) has conducted rich and
ideas on education from past to present.
product of her time at Mills.
varied research on child behavior and
“I hoped to link those from the past,
But that research wasn’t the only
development—a history that Professor
both internationally and nationally,
thing she accomplished while on the
Emerita of Education Edna Mitchell
with the gradual development of the
Mills faculty. In addition to her work
wanted to document in its own book.
Children’s School at Mills,” Mitchell says.
with the Department of Education,
Published independently last April,
The second half of the book is
Mitchell also served as the director of
Early Childhood Education Through
dedicated to Mitchell’s personal experi-
Graduate Studies, was founding director
the Ages: A Partial History of the Mills
ences with MCCS. When she joined
of the Women’s Leadership Program,
College Children’s School covers the
the Mills faculty in 1973 as head of the
and created an evening degree program
development of European and US
Department of Education, coming from
for non-traditional-age working women.
educational practice, with final focus
Smith College, she was eager to work
on the evolution of MCCS as the first
with the Children’s School after positive
the title of her book, Mitchell explains:
campus laboratory school in the
experiences with the laboratory school
“Many others who have been part of
western United States. The book is
on the Smith campus. Her research
the Children’s School will have more
available for purchase on Amazon.
focused on children’s play in particular,
versions to add. [...] There could have
as well as toys and playgrounds as socio
been many more voices, but that is for
ested in the development of teaching as
cultural influences. Combined with her
another author to solicit and organize.
a profession, which is why she devoted
interest in history and the philosophies
My book is not our final history.”
Mitchell had always been deeply inter-
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M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
About the phrase “partial history” in
