Dr. Dianne Jemison Pollard, Ed.D, a longtime dean and professor at Texas Southern University, died Oct. 4. A homegoing celebration will be held Monday, Oct. 16 at 10:30 a.m. at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 500 Clay St.
She retired from TSU in 2022 after 44 years of service. Her positions included dean of the Thomas F. Freeman Honors College, professor of Theatre in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and chair of the Department of Fine Arts.
As an award-winning stage director, she directed over 50 productions from Greek and Shakespeare to contemporary theater, musicals and children’s theater. She wrote 18 religious pageants produced around the globe.
Her son, Houston City Councilmember Edward Pollard, said in a statement,
“Dr. Jemison Pollard was a strong woman of faith, who loved her family, colleagues, friends and students. She was an extraordinary woman in many ways and will be missed but never forgotten.”
Her father, Rev. Dr. T.J. Jemison, was a civil rights leader, pastor and president of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Fisk University, masters degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Catholic University of America and Ed.D in Counseling from TSU.
She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the Links Spring Cypress Chapter. Survivors include her son Edward, daughter Celestine, grandchildren E.J. and Nadia, sister Bettye Wagner and brother Ted Jemison.