Jacquelyn G. Alston ’72 was born on March 5, 1950, in Philadelphia to Harvey and Margaret Alston. She was the third of 11 children and the first of her siblings to attend college. She was a gifted and talented student who excelled in her educational endeavors. After graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls, Jacquelyn received her undergraduate degree from Antioch College.
She studied abroad, traveling throughout Europe and living in West Africa for a while, where she was able to practice her French and learn about diverse cultures and African history. She would then go on to earn her MA at UCLA and pursue further study in the history department at Howard University in Washington DC.
For more than 30 years, Jacquelyn was a certified teacher and taught as a substitute in both the DC and Maryland school systems.
She was a published author, Comparative Nationalism: Definitions, Interpretations and the Black American and British West African Experience to 1947. And a published poet.
For almost 40 years, Jacquelyn enjoyed living and working in her adopted city of Washington DC. One of her proudest moments was when she, with much appreciated guidance from her youngest brother, Al, was able to purchase her first home. She would reside in this home for almost 20 years.
Survivors include her mother, five sisters, two brothers, two nieces, two nephews, great-nephew and great niece, two brothers-in-law, and a host of other dear relatives and friends.