Educator, Historian, Internationalist

Dr. Elizabeth Bouey-Yates is the daughter of the late Rev. Edward H. Bouey and Dr Elizabeth Coles Bouey of Richmond, Virginia who served as missionaries in West Africa for many years. Dr Yates has followed in the footsteps of her parent’s related ways. She has spent much of her life in the Third World countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean working with people and programs providing educational and
technical assistance.

Dr Yates has studied in the field of education, history and international relations. She began preparation for her life's work at Virginia Union University graduating in 1943 at the age of 17. The following year she received her first graduate degree from Columbia University in New York City and later the doctorial degree from George Washington University in the nation's capital.

Beginning her professional career as a teacher in the Richmond Public Schools, Dr. Yates in 1964, moved on to join the staff of the International Relations Division of the National Education Association (NEA) as Director of its Overseas Educational Assistance Program living and working in Third World countries throughout the world. Dr Yates later moved to Switzerland to work for the World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP) as Program Director for Africa. During her work in this capacity Dr Yates lived through the outbreak of war in the Congo, a plane hijacking across the Red Sea to Yemen, coup d'etats in Liberia and the Cameroons, political demonstrations in Swaziland, Lesotho and South Africa, and relief efforts in a drought-stricken Ethiopia. From 1977 to her retirement in 1986 Dr. Yates worked in South Africa assisting the Black and Colored Teachers Associations in their struggle against apartheid.

After her “official” retirement, Dr. Yates served for many years as a Professor of African and African-American History at Northern Virginia Community College and taught courses at The Pentagon, several U.S. Military installations, and the University of Virginia. She also served as an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University, George Mason University and Potomac College.

Due to her passion for South Africa, since 1996 Dr Yates has organized and taken American groups to that country to have them study, experience, and enjoy the country she had come to love so dearly. As a result of these trips, her over 1,000 travelers have made possible the formation of the Dr Bettye Bouey-Yates Educational Foundation founded primarily to give much needed assistance to the 1,200+ children at the Christianberg Public Primary School located outside of the city of Durban.

Dr. Yates belongs to Christ United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. where its members, many of whom are former South African travelers, work with her to provide various forms of assistance to an orphanage, a church, and an HIV-AIDS program in South Africa's black township of Soweto.

Dr. Yates is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She is also involved in many activities that relate to Africa, African-American History, Culture and Art.