Recommendation made that new Lexington middle school be named for ‘hidden figure’

Fayette County Public Schools’ new middle school could be named after Kentucky’s first Black female physician, who practiced in Lexington.

The Fayette school board announced Monday it had received a recommendation to name the new school Mary E. Britton Middle School. Britton, who lived from 1855 to 1925, was also a Lexington public school teacher, an instructor at Berea College, an activist and a journalist, district officials said at a Monday school board meeting.

Fayette school board member Marilyn Clark described Britton as a “hidden figure” and said she previously didn’t know about her.

The school board is expected to vote on the recommendation Sept. 11.

The newest middle school is planned for Polo Club Boulevard with a capacity of 1,200 students in grades 6 through 8. The target completion date is June 2025.

Bill Bradford, chief school leadership officer for middle schools, said Britton’s name was the “standout” recommendation.

Britton was an original member of the Kentucky Negro Education Association, which formed in 1877. She was president of the Lexington Woman’s Improvement Club and later served as a charter member of the Ladies Orphan Society. The Ladies Orphan Society founded the Colored Orphan Industrial Home in Lexington in 1892, district officials said.

Britton provided medical care to Black Americans who were refused care by others, Bradford said.

After teaching Black children in Lexington public schools, Britton worked as a doctor from her home in Lexington, district officials said. A diverse district committee recommended naming the school after Britton after receiving hundreds of suggestions.