Evelyn was born in January 1943 in Hernando, Mississippi. She
attended elementary school in the South until she was 10 years
old. The family then moved to Champaign, Illinois. She graduated
from high school and got married at a very early age. Because
her children were born so close together, this cut short her life
long dream of going to college and becoming a social worker or
counselor. she had to go to work to help support the family while
the children were very small. Her few business courses in high
school, in addition to her academic courses were helpful in acquiring
a clerical position at a laundry. She started taking night courses
at Adult Education and later at Commercial College through the
National Secretaries Association. She became involved as a Board
Member of several organizations that worked to advance society
at large and exhibited a concern for the interest of all mankind.
Among them were the Community Development Board of Directors,
Coordinating Committee for Quality Education, NAACP, The Champaign
County Urban League, Champaign County League of Women Voters,
the Douglass Center Library Board and the N.C.N.W., to name a
few. Evelyn was the 1st Black to be elected to the Urbana School
District #116 Board of Education and served for 12 years; and,
as an elected official she served in many capacities including
the National Caucus of Black School Board Members.To fulfill her
dream of formal training, she enrolled as a part-time student
in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of
Education at the Univ. of IL. Urbana-Champaign Campus from 1971-82,
while working full-time. She later received Illinois Teacher Certification
in upper elementary, junior high school and high school, including
Special Certification in Guidance and General Administrative.
She took degrees from several universities:
B.A. Education, Sociology and Political Science, E.I.U., Charleston,
IL - August, 1983
J.D. Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington, IN - May,
1987
M.S. Edu. Dept. of Ed. Psych. & Guid., E.I.U., Charleston,
IL - May, 1988
Ed.S. Ed. Admn., E.I.U., Charleston, IL - May, 1993
H.L.D. Dr. Humane Ltrs. (Honorary), Grant College, Birmingham,
AL - 1995
Ph.D. Ed., Curr. & Inst., U of I at U.-C. - May, 2000
As Associate Minister of her Church, the New Free Will Baptist
Church, she works alongside her husband, Pastor King James Underwood,
to nurture the Christian Spirit among all of the members with
particular emphasis on the youth.
Evelyn Burnett Underwood
)
denotes original charter members of the Champaign County Section
of the National Council of Negro Women.