Adelaide “Fiddle” Walton ’65
Retired educator; Worked with METCO program to desegregate Boston schools

Major: Psychology

Leadership roles: Big Sister Committee, House President, Judicial Board, Athletic Association Board, and President of our Junior Class.

Extracurricular activities: tennis team, the swimming team, the field hockey team, sailing club, volunteered at the Newark State Hospital and in Canandaigua at the Veterans' Hospital

First job after college: Teaching for Head Start in Geneva the summer right after graduation. My first job after Geneva was working in the trust department of a bank in Boston.

Career reflection
Early on I got into education, and when I moved to Concord in 1971 I became involved with the METCO Program, which is a desegregation program which buses inner city minority children to suburban Boston schools. For many years I was a tutor in the schools, primarily the Middle School, where I helped students with math, English, science and social studies. I became very close to, and fond of, many of the families whose children came through the system. Eventually I became the coordinator of the program for Concord for several years before retiring. I feel that I made a big difference to many students and families, especially in helping them bridge cultural differences between the city and the suburbs, and between black and white populations.

On leadership
William Smith gave me a sense of confidence. I felt I had a very good, well- rounded education and could tackle whatever was put before me. It also taught me to speak up when I feel something needs to be said.

On the coordinate system
I had been to an all-girls high school, and the chance to be in classes with boys where I could evaluate my performance against that of the males in class added to the confidence level I spoke of above. But I liked the being a part of a separate and special entity. Of course, at the time, we felt we were much smarter than Hobart men.

Further education
I took graduate courses in education at Boston State College in order to get my teaching certificate, but in fact, I continue my education all the time in different places and ways whether it is school sponsored workshops, Adult Education courses, other sponsored courses or traveling and learning about wherever I am. Also reading, reading, reading, and being open to different people, cultures, religions and ideas.