PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — Samuel McClure Sr., a former Paulding County educator who later became the first Black chairman of the county’s board of education, has died.
His family announced McClure Sr. passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday night.
“While mourning, we are still rejoicing because he is no longer in pain, but experiencing the joy of being with our Lord, which he worked so hard for and desired,” the McClure family wrote on social media. “Thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this challenging time for our family. Please know he loved you all and gave you his very best. We love you all!
McClure grew up in Paulding County and graduated from Matthews Consolidated School as the valedictorian in 1965. He earned his degrees at Savannah State and West Georgia College to teach in the district.
McClure served as the assistant principal at Paulding County Junior High and principal at Herschel Jones Junior High and Herschel Jones Middle School.
In 2003, McClure was elected to the Paulding County Board of Education 2003. Voters re-elected him in 2006, 2010 and 2014 and served on the board until he retired in 2018.
McClure made history as the first Black chairman of the board during his tenure. McClure Middle School is named after him.
Paulding County Superintendent Steve Barnette said all schools in the district have been asked to hold a moment of silence for McClure.
“It is difficult to quantify how deeply Mr. McClure will be missed. His calm and kind demeanor, along with his measured approach to solving problems, are character traits that everyone recognized and that no doubt positively influenced multiple generations of Paulding County students,” Barnette wrote in a statement.
Funeral plans for McClure have not been announced.
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