James Rousseau

That’s according to his 7 Over Seventy nomination. “James firmly believes that an educated mind is a priceless possession and the most important factor is not where you come from, but where you are going,” the nomination says.

Rousseau summarizes his life career this way:

“Forty years in education; 50 years in community service; 60 years active in my beloved fraternity, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.; 50-year member of Grace Presbyterian Church; married to my wife, Jean, for 52 years; father of two children, grandfather of six children and one grand-doggie. Server of the Lord all my life.”

Rousseau, who turned 82 in July, says one of his proudest accomplishments is the Minority Male Mentoring Program at Forsyth Technical Community College, which has helped increase the number of minority students graduating from the college since the mid-1990s.

Rousseau was born and raised in Winston-Salem. He had a lifelong interest in science, especially chemistry. An advisor on his student newspaper at Atkins High School helped him arrange a scholarship at her alma mater, Knoxville College, and he went there, where he soon learned his true passion was for teaching.

“I wanted to help young people,” he says. “I did some student teaching when I was in college, and the kids were really interested... and that sort of influenced me that I might want to try teaching.”

He pondered a science career, but after student teaching, he felt strongly about giving teaching a shot.

“So, when I came home, I applied for a position with the school system, and I got the position.”

He worked first as a science teacher and later an administrator in the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County school system and at Forsyth Tech, where he retired in 2001.

While working as a teacher, he was encouraged to become more active in community affairs after an encounter with Mazie Woodruff, an alderman whose daughter was in one of his science classes.

“She said ‘I think you ought to do more to help the community. You’ve been blessed; why don’t you volunteer some of your time to help with some programs?’”

Her words reminded him of similar advice from his mother, who told him that if the Lord blesses you, you should bless somebody else, and He will keep blessing you.

Rousseau started working with Forsyth Court Volunteers and Family Services, which led to other groups and more opportunities to help kids get on the right path in life.

“From that, people kept asking me to serve on this and serve on that, and it just kept going,” he says. That included the Cleveland Avenue Task Force, the Cooperative Extension Advisory Board, and many more groups and programs.

“As I look back at my career, I hope that I contributed to improving the quality of life for young people and the community,” he says. “Serving on these boards, I tried to impact the lives of people, trying to improve the quality of life.”