Lucy F. Simms
Lucy F. Simms (1855 or 1856 − 1934) was a former slave and educator who lived in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA. She is one of those commemorated on the Emancipation and Freedom Monument in Richmond, Virginia. Personal life Lucy Frances (or Francis) Simms was born enslaved in 1855 or 1856 on one of the estates owned by the Gray family in either Harrisonburg or Roanoke, Virginia. Her mother was Jane Simms, who married John Wilson in 1865. Simms was a Methodist of strong moral convictions and was held in great esteem and affection by both school children and the community. Career Formal education for emancipated slaves became available from 1863, after the American Civil War, although they were not permitted to attend the existing schools. In Harrisonburg purpose-built school buildings were provided by the state after 1870. Simms was initially educated in Harrisonburg at the Whipple School founded by the Freedmen's Bureau but from 1874 she attended the Hampton Institute in Virginia and graduated in 1877 with a teaching certificate of the first degree. While at college she met Booker T. Washington who was also a student there. Simms returned to Harrisonburg in 1877. Simms became a leader promoting education in