Mollie Lasater: Fort Worth's Pioneering Educator

0:00It's April 7th. This is Dallas News Today, Local News Powered by AI. Fort Worth lost a true pioneer in education this week. Molly Lasseter passed away at 87 on March 29th. She broke barriers as the first woman president of the Fort Worth Independent School District Board back in the 1980s, serving a full, decade and pushing for top tier schools for every kid. Earlier this week, folks remembered how she got elected vice president in 1978, beating out seven men for that at large spot, the first time voters directly pick someone like that. She stepped up as president after a resignation and focused on excellence amid tough times, like busing debates and district changes. People close to her, like Whitney Boyd from the North Texas Community Foundation, shared stories of real impact. Boyd was a new doctoral student when Lasseter spotted her potential, sent her resume everywhere, and helped her land routes in Fort Worth turning. She entered real jobs and connections.

1:00After the board, Lasseter launched the local chapter of the I Have a Dream Foundation, knocking on doors to link low income kids and families with, mentors and resources. She and her husband also started high school high scholar, a five week summer STEM program in Colorado, sparking futures for students in engineering, medicine and leadership. Her bridge building lives on through all those she lifted up, now giving back to the community she loved so fiercely.