RALEIGH, NC - Mary "Jeanne" Hopkins Lucas was inducted into NC Association of Educators' Hall of Fame posthumously on March 26, 2009.

.Lucas was born on December 25, 1935, in the city of Durham, to Robert Hopkins and Mrs. Bertha Holman Hopkins.  She began her formal education at East End Elementary School, attended Whitted Junior High School and graduated from Hillside High School in 1953.  She matriculated at North Carolina Central University, where she earned a BA in Foreign Languages in 1957 and MA in School Administration in 1977.  Following her passions of reeducating others, she worked in the Durham Public Schools for 20 years, teaching French and Spanish at Hillside High School from 1957 to 1975.  In 1974, she was honored with the Durham City Teacher of the Year Award.  Mrs. Lucas served her profession as President of the North Carolina Association of Classroom Teacher from 1975 to 1976, representing more than 50,000 educators in North Carolina. From 1977 until her retirement in 1993, she worked in various administrative Positions for the Durham Public Schools, serving as Director of Personnel/Staff Development from 1991 to 1992, and Director of School and Community Relations from 1992 to 1993.

Senator Lucas began an active role in politics in 1972, serving as vice chair and later as chair of Precinct 29, secretary and chair of the Durham County John F. Kennedy Young Democratic Club, secretary and chair of the Durham County Democratic Executive] Committee, and chair of the Second Congressional District Democratic Executive Committee. 

In 1993, she was appointed to the North Carolina State Senate to fill an unexpired term of Senator Ralph Hunt, becoming the first African American Female to serve in the NC Senate.   Where she affectionately called “Queen Jeanne” by some of her fellow Senators, was reelected to the Senate for six terms, where she served with honor and distinction from 1995 to 2007. During tenure in the General Assembly, she took a special interest in such issues as education, children, senior citizens, the mentally and physically challenged, and health insurance for low-income citizens.  She served in various leadership positions in the Senate, including Majority Whip and Senior Chair of the Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee, co-chair of the Education/Higher Education Committee and Vice Chair of the Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources Committee.  Throughout her tenure as Senator, she made many contributions as a member of other committees, including Judiciary I, Mental Health and Youth Services, Pensions & Retirement and Aging, the Select Committee on Insurance and Civil Justice Reform, Select Committee on the Lottery Bill, Domestic Violence Commission, and the Senate Health Coordinating Council.

From the time she was a little girl, she was dedicated in her service to Mount Gilead Baptist Church in Durham, NC, eventually serving as Secretary and chair of the Trustee Board, chair of the Budget Committee, member of the Mass, Young Adult and Senior Choirs, director of the Youth Choir and Gospel Choirs, and Sunday School Teacher for Teenagers. 

Senator Lucas lost a long battle with breast cancer on March 9, 2007 She is survived by her husband of 47 ½ years, William Lucas and two sisters, Mrs. Bertha Hopkins Breese and Mrs. Bernadette Hopkins David-Yerumo.