Dr. Thelma Spencer, who just two years ago was still driving, says while her mind is still sharp, her mobility is not what it was when she was only 99.
Spencer told WTOP that she feels so much more secure now that she lives in the senior living community and said the staff have treated her wonderfully.
During a conversation, Spencer spoke of her grandfather who was born on a plantation in North Carolina and fought for his freedom in the Civil War. Spencer was the last of her grandfather’s grandchildren, and was held by him before he died when she was only six months old.
While Spencer’s grandfather might not have imagined at the time that his granddaughter would go on to earn her Ph.D. in education, her mother did.
“My mother was determined her children were gonna be the best educated they possibly could be,” said Spencer. “She worked hard every day so I could graduate from Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.”
Spencer would become a proud, lifelong member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, writing its definitive study guide.
After earning her doctorate from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Spencer went on to devote her life to improving standardized testing at the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey.
“I know I made a difference because I have been the first in many different situations, but I also made sure I was not the last,” Spencer said.
It’s no surprise Spencer has lived such a long life. Her mother lived into her 90s, and her aunt and great-grandmother made it past 103. “I come from a family of women that live forever,” she joked.
Thanks to the fact that her mother was a professional cook, Spencer loves good food — crabs and pork chops are favorites. She also enjoys scotch.
Spencer never married or had children, which she said could be a contributing factor to her long life. She acknowledged a major love of hers that didn’t work out, adding that she has no regrets.
When asked if there was a secret to a long life, Spencer smiled and said, “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Spencer is disappointed we’ve yet to elect a woman to the highest office in the land, and said young women need to stand up and speak out for themselves.
“Don’t wait on somebody to come out of the woodwork, it has to be you,” said Spencer.
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