The committee approved the name change for Dr. Perry. She will finally receive the recognition she earned in Terre Haute. We did it.
June 25, 2021
An ISU Alumni Committee is Petitioning a Street Name Change for fellow Alumna in Terre Haute, IN
Final supporters
iPetitions hosts thousands of petitions for free. You will be asked to consider making a contribution but for this iPetition, you are not requred.
Dr. Cynthia Shepard Perry served our country with distinction as Ambassador to Sierra Leone from 1986-1989 and as Ambassador to the Republic of Burundi from 1989-1993. The first woman doctoral recipient of the College of Education's International Education program (1972), she has been honored at UMass Amherst with an honorary Doctor of Public Service (1988) and a Distinguished Alumni Award (2002).
Born in 1928 in Lost Creek, Dr. Perry earned a bachelor's degree at Indiana State University in 1967. Dr. Perry's first trip to Africa was in 1968 as leader of a team of students from Colby Women's College (New Hampshire) to conduct a secretarial training project at the University of Nairobi, funded by Crossroads Africa. From 1971-1973, she trained a Peace Corps volunteer group at Texas Southern University to serve in Sierra Leone. In 1974, she led a special educational delegation to Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, and Liberia. From 1973-1976, she trained Peace Corps paramedical volunteers in Kenya, lectured at the University of Nairobi, and served as consultant to the U.S. Information Service in Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia. In 1976, she was appointed Staff Development Officer at the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa. Having joined the Texas Southern University faculty in 1971, she served as an Associate Professor and Associate Director of Teacher Corps/Peace Corps, later becoming a full Professor and Dean of International Affairs from 1978-1982. In 1982, the Reagan Administration appointed Dr. Shepard Perry to be Chief of the Education and Human Resources Division in the Africa Bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she remained until 1986.
In 1986, Dr. Perry was appointed Ambassador to Sierra Leone by President Ronald Reagan, serving in that role with notable success despite political and social tensions that later erupted in civil war. In 1989, President George H. Bush again called upon her expertise and asked Dr. Shepard Perry to serve as Ambassador to Burundi. In both roles, she worked with keen intelligence to increase the United State's stature and navigate relations with diplomacy and tact.
In 1996, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Shepard Perry as Regent of Texas Woman's University, where she served until 2001 when he appointed her to be U.S. Executive Director of the African Development Bank in Abidjan, and later Tunisia. After she retired from this post in 2007, she returned to Houston, where she currently serves as Honorary Consul General of Rwanda, appointed by President Kagame, and confirmed by the U.S. Dept. of State as an honorary position.
In addition to being honored as a Distinguished Alumni, Dr. Shepard Perry has left a positive legacy of change not only in the State of Indiana or the United States but across the world. Help us rename 5TH STREET north from WABASH AVENUE downtown to AMBASSADOR. CYNTHIA SHEPARD PERRY WAY extending through Indiana State University's campus ending at TIPPECANOE STREET in her honor.
Updates
April 16, 2021
The momentum for Dr. Perry is incredible. We are officially ready to bring this proposal forward.
Reached 100 supporters
April 16, 2021
45 Comments
Great to see this effort! I had a chance to hear Ambassador Perry speak at Indiana Stare and was very impressed with her story. I’m happy to lend support for this petition to honor her legacy.
Cynthia Shepard Perry is well deserving to be recognized for her lifeling achievments. As the Lost Creek Township Trustee I support the efforts to rename a street, or portion thereof, in honor of her name.
Good friend of our family for many years. Her daughter and my sister Janet were good friends. I have many great memories of her playing the organ and encouraging the youth to do better.
I am Blessed to have sat with her in conversation, hear her story & watch her interact with our students, so I can assure you that she is more than deserving of this honor!
As a double alum of Indiana State University, I think it would be a tremendous honor to both the city of Terre Haute and the University if the street was named after Cynthia Shepard
This is much deserved honor!
Well deserved recognition!
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
The committee approved the name change for Dr. Perry. She will finally receive the recognition she earned in Terre Haute. We did it.
June 25, 2021
An ISU Alumni Committee is Petitioning a Street Name Change for fellow Alumna in Terre Haute, IN
Final supporters
iPetitions hosts thousands of petitions for free. You will be asked to consider making a contribution but for this iPetition, you are not requred.
Dr. Cynthia Shepard Perry served our country with distinction as Ambassador to Sierra Leone from 1986-1989 and as Ambassador to the Republic of Burundi from 1989-1993. The first woman doctoral recipient of the College of Education's International Education program (1972), she has been honored at UMass Amherst with an honorary Doctor of Public Service (1988) and a Distinguished Alumni Award (2002).
Born in 1928 in Lost Creek, Dr. Perry earned a bachelor's degree at Indiana State University in 1967. Dr. Perry's first trip to Africa was in 1968 as leader of a team of students from Colby Women's College (New Hampshire) to conduct a secretarial training project at the University of Nairobi, funded by Crossroads Africa. From 1971-1973, she trained a Peace Corps volunteer group at Texas Southern University to serve in Sierra Leone. In 1974, she led a special educational delegation to Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, and Liberia. From 1973-1976, she trained Peace Corps paramedical volunteers in Kenya, lectured at the University of Nairobi, and served as consultant to the U.S. Information Service in Kenya, Nigeria, and Zambia. In 1976, she was appointed Staff Development Officer at the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa. Having joined the Texas Southern University faculty in 1971, she served as an Associate Professor and Associate Director of Teacher Corps/Peace Corps, later becoming a full Professor and Dean of International Affairs from 1978-1982. In 1982, the Reagan Administration appointed Dr. Shepard Perry to be Chief of the Education and Human Resources Division in the Africa Bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she remained until 1986.
In 1986, Dr. Perry was appointed Ambassador to Sierra Leone by President Ronald Reagan, serving in that role with notable success despite political and social tensions that later erupted in civil war. In 1989, President George H. Bush again called upon her expertise and asked Dr. Shepard Perry to serve as Ambassador to Burundi. In both roles, she worked with keen intelligence to increase the United State's stature and navigate relations with diplomacy and tact.
In 1996, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Shepard Perry as Regent of Texas Woman's University, where she served until 2001 when he appointed her to be U.S. Executive Director of the African Development Bank in Abidjan, and later Tunisia. After she retired from this post in 2007, she returned to Houston, where she currently serves as Honorary Consul General of Rwanda, appointed by President Kagame, and confirmed by the U.S. Dept. of State as an honorary position.
In addition to being honored as a Distinguished Alumni, Dr. Shepard Perry has left a positive legacy of change not only in the State of Indiana or the United States but across the world. Help us rename 5TH STREET north from WABASH AVENUE downtown to AMBASSADOR. CYNTHIA SHEPARD PERRY WAY extending through Indiana State University's campus ending at TIPPECANOE STREET in her honor.
Updates
April 16, 2021
The momentum for Dr. Perry is incredible. We are officially ready to bring this proposal forward.
Reached 100 supporters
April 16, 2021
45 Comments
Dr. Cynthia S. Perry Way rolls off the tongue a little bit easier than her full middle name. I think the street walkway should come with a placard detailing her accomplishments. Or maybe stone engraved with her story in the sidewalks. She did important work that deserves recognition, thank you for sharing!
Great to see this effort! I had a chance to hear Ambassador Perry speak at Indiana Stare and was very impressed with her story. I’m happy to lend support for this petition to honor her legacy.
Cynthia Shepard Perry is well deserving to be recognized for her lifeling achievments. As the Lost Creek Township Trustee I support the efforts to rename a street, or portion thereof, in honor of her name.
Good friend of our family for many years. Her daughter and my sister Janet were good friends. I have many great memories of her playing the organ and encouraging the youth to do better.
I am Blessed to have sat with her in conversation, hear her story & watch her interact with our students, so I can assure you that she is more than deserving of this honor!
As a double alum of Indiana State University, I think it would be a tremendous honor to both the city of Terre Haute and the University if the street was named after Cynthia Shepard
This is much deserved honor!
Well deserved recognition!
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
Dr. Cynthia S. Perry Way rolls off the tongue a little bit easier than her full middle name. I think the street walkway should come with a placard detailing her accomplishments. Or maybe stone engraved with her story in the sidewalks. She did important work that deserves recognition, thank you for sharing!