Her lifelong mission: Opening doors for others
From Columbus to Savannah, Gayle Latricia Jackson ’81 PhD strengthened schools, nonprofits and families with vision, generosity and unwavering care.
Editor’s note: This story is part of a “Proud They’re Ours” series that usually runs only in the print version of Ohio State Alumni Magazine. The series features Buckeyes who’ve accomplished great things or made a significant difference for people, planet, industry or culture. To learn how to receive the print edition, visit this alumni association webpage.
Born: Oct. 27, 1950
Died: Aug. 25, 2023
Community connector
After earning her PhD in pharmacology, Baltimore native Gayle Latricia Jackson worked as an associate editor at Chemical Abstracts in Columbus and as an adjunct professor at Ohio State. But the busy mom and wife never sat still once the workday ended. She was a founding member of the Central Seventh Day Adventist Church and a leader of its Pathfinders youth scouting program. After her family moved to Fremont, in 1994, she worked with young people at Treatment Alternatives to Street Crime and Africa House, and she founded the African American College Club. “The club visited colleges and historic places to show young people the world and possibilities beyond their community,” says her husband, Alvin Jackson ’89 MD. She created mentoring programs for Fremont schools students and also led fundraising for Liberia, to ship medical supplies and fund education. She also traveled there to better understand the needs of those she worked so hard to help.
Making history alive
After the Jacksons moved to Savannah, Georgia, in 2015, Gayle helped expand the Willow Hill Heritage & Renaissance Center, a museum dedicated to preserving the legacy of a school founded in 1874 by former slaves. Alvin’s ancestors had attended. Gayle served as the museum’s development director, bringing in donations that let the museum expand exhibits and services. “She said, ‘We have to do more, something for the children,’ and so she started a tech camp that taught IT skills to rural children,” Alvin says. “Her mission was to always help young people, and she believed in the worth of every student she met and mentored.”
Buckeye love
When he needed help in a 700-level biochemistry class at Ohio State, Alvin knew whom to ask. “After the first test, the professor said three individuals achieved perfect scores. It was so unusual, he asked them to stand up,” Alvin recalls. “One was a beautiful African American woman, and my brain hooked into gear real fast. I said I have to meet this girl.” What started as a tutor-student relationship quickly turned into something special. The two married, raised four children (two physicians, a physical therapist and a restaurant owner) and were together until Gayle passed away. “I could tell from that first day, she was this great woman and humanitarian who gave her heart to the world,” Alvin says. “She devoted her life to young people.”
