Minnie Cox {2-5-1869-1933}

She was a teacher,and postal administrator.Minnie M.Geddings was one of two daughters born to William and Mary Geddings of Lexington,Mississippi.She graduated from Fisk University and first taught school at the common schools in Lexington Mississippi.Soon after she married and assisted her husband Wayne,when he was prinicipal of the Indianola,and was reappointed by president William Mckinley;becoming the first Black postmistress of the United States.On January 25, 1900  William raised her rank from fourth class to third class and appointed Mrs.Cox for full for a full four-year term.In the fall of 1902 under the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt a controversy brought national attention to Mrs.Cox.Jim Crow Laws overran Reconstruction in America whites wanted blacks eliminated from leadership positions.Some of the local whites in Indianola met and drew up a petition requesting Minnie resignation to take effect January 1,1903.Theodore felt Minnie had been wronged,and that the authority of the federal government was being compromised and refused to accept her resignation.He closed the Indianola's post office on January 2,1903 rerouted the mail to Greenville Mississippi,and Minnie continued to received her salary.Also for four hours in January 1903 the Indianola postal event was debated on the floor of the U.S. Senate,and appeared on the front pages of Newspapers across the country.A year later,at the expiration of Mrs.Cox's term, in February 1904 the post office was reopened,but demoted in rank from third class to fourth class.