KENT � Canton community activist and retired educator Paralee Compton recently received KentState University�s 2003 President�s Award for Social Responsibility at the college�s 15th Annual Diversity Scholarship Dinner.
A 1966 graduate of KentState, Mrs. Compton worked for Canton City Schools for 40 years. She became the district�s first black and woman assistant superintendent. She also served as a principal, teacher and administrator.
In 2000, Mrs. Compton came out of a seven-year retirement to launch Gear Up, a college preparatory program for disadvantaged students.
An inductee of the Canton YWCA Women�s hall of Fame, Mrs. Compton has received numerous other awards, including the NAACP Youth Service Award, and the Governor�s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award.
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