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campaign manager for four political candidates and in 1985 decided
to take the plunge into politics herself. In 1986 she was elected to the
Virginia House of Delegates and became the first African American
since reconstruction to represent the state’s 92nd district, the city of
Hampton.
Dr. Christian’s educational career alone is worthy of celebration.
Dr. Christian has proven time and again that people believe in her.
But outside of the classroom, Dr. Christian was an effective state
legislator, where she championed legislation on education, healthcare
and prescription drugs, representing the 92nd District in the Virginia
House of Delegates from 1986-2004. Christian was among the
first three African Americans appointed to the powerful House
Appropriations Committee. She also served ably on the Education
and Rules Standing Committees, and was the Co-chair of the Militia
and Police Committee. Dr. Christian was also selected to be a member
of various General Assembly Commissions including the Joint
Commission on Technology and Science, the Hampton Roads Third
Crossing Bridge Tunnel Commission, and the Commission on Access
and Diversity. Dr. Christian is a skilled public servant who kept
the needs of her constituents paramount in her mind while making
decisions when she was in Richmond. Christian has received many
awards and accolades throughout her career. She has been inducted
into the Alpha Kappa Mu, Kappa Delta Pi, and Phi Beta Theta honor
societies. She is an Honorary Board Member of the National Patient
Advocate Foundation, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., as well as a
life member of the NAACP. She has received both the Merit Award
for Community Service and the Award for Service to Youth from the
NAACP. In 2002, Thomas Nelson Community College named the
Mary T. Christian Auditorium after her.
Locally, Dr. Christian was founder and leader of several civic and
community organizations: Groups Representing Organizations United
for Progress (GROUP); Leadership Development Caucus (LDC);
Coalition for Community Pride and Progress (CCPP); Association
for Restoration of Historic Cemeteries (ARHC); and Co-Chair of the
Coalition for Preservation of the Virginia School for the Deaf, Blind
and Multi-Disabled at Hampton.
On January 14, 2007, the Hampton Roads Community came
together to pay tribute to Dr. Christian for her many years of service.
Proceeds from this tribute event were used to establish the Dr. Mary
T. Christian Scholarship Fund at Hampton University. Another recent
honor was the Peninsula Town Center, Hampton, Virginia official
dedication of Mary’s Park in honor of four Hampton Marys – Mary
Peake, Mary Passage, Mary Johnson andMary Christian. Each honored
Mary has been a visionary educator and leader in our community. Dr.
Mary T. Christian is the only surviving Mary of the four.
We fuel progress around the world.
Running
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Dr. Christian is a member of First Baptist Church of Hampton
where she participates in the Christian Fellowship Choir, the Mass
Choir and the Comfort Choir, the Silver-Gold & Platinum Liturgical
Dance Ministry, Social Action Committee, First Chair of Women’s
Ministry, Chair of the Constitution Committee, and currently a
member of the Steering Committee. She is married to Wilbur B.
Christian. She has two daughters and one son (deceased).
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