Dr. Julia Bell Branch

The Boggs Academy National Alumni Association gives special recognition to schoolmate, Julia Bell Branch-Bingham of the class of 1968. This special tribute is bestowed upon her as a result of her being dedicated, selfless, unassuming, loyal, full of integrity and kind-hearted. Julia rarely wants to be in the fore-ground or take credit for her great works.

She is a board member of BANAA and a major force for our Scholarship Program. Julia handles all incoming and outgoing mail, applications and inquiries during the student application process; counsels and evaluates students. To benefit the program further she coordinates fundraising by heading the merchandise committee and fundraising, through the securing of items for bidding and raffling at BANAA reunions.

Julia is the descendant of Boggsite, Viola Chance '45. She is the second born of seven siblings to Viola and Calvin Bell of Alexander, Burke County, Georgia. She attended Cousin Elementary School in Sardis, Georgia. And in the summer of 1963, she joined her sister Yvonne and cousin Marvenia Bell at Boggs Academy. They had gone to Boggs two years earlier.

Summer of 1967 Boggs classmates, Lynn Stoddard, Donna Hardwick, and Julia attended a Boggs music and drama summer enrichment program at Hampton Institute in Hampton, Virginia. There they had the opportunity to meet and became friends with Berlinda Tolbert an American film actress best known for her role of Jenny Willis, Lionel Jefferson's girlfriend on the Jefferson's television sitcom. This among others, is one of the many life-changing experiences she had at Boggs Academy College Preparatory School.

After graduating from Boggs in 1968, Julia attended Jacksonville University in Jacksonville Florida. During that period Jacksonville University gained notoriety. It was a small private school that gained notoriety because of its basketball program. JU had two seven-foot players who led them to win 2nd place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournaments. Campus life was very vibrant. One reason was because NCAA and future ABA, and NBA star, Artis Gilmore came to national prominence. Julia and her friends were quite drawn into the campus social life. However, she had enough sense to know she had to keep her grades up and stay out of trouble if she wanted to escape the farm life of Burke County, from where she had come.

Julia earned a BA in History from Jacksonville University in 1972. She then followed her sister Yvonne to Brooklyn New York, and became licensed in real estate sales. She worked in the Brooklyn Office of Ellison Real Estate. Clients included Shirley Chisolm and the like, down to the homeless and welfare recipients. Her most satisfying and rewarding sales experience was being able to find decent affordable homes for the homeless and welfare recipients.

1974 she returned to Jacksonville and took a position at Ford Motor Credit Company. During that time, which she called her growing up period, she married her college sweetheart Jimmie Branch. They had two children - Jamil and Jonathan, who are now associate members of the Boggs Academy National Alumni Association.

Later, she returned to college and received an MBA in business finance from North Florida University. At the same time as a professional mother, she involved herself as much as possibly with her children, she decided to head the young people's Sunday School Department of St. James AME Church, in Jacksonville. This compelled her to focus on working with youth more.

This experience showed her how much she enjoyed working with youth so she returned to New York and enrolled in Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, where she became certified in the Teaching of Special Education specializing in elementary and secondary education.

Eventually she was honored with many education awards:

- New York City top ten teachers
- Life time achievements and accomplishments - Sigma Gamm Rho Sorority
- Listed in Outstanding Young Women in America in 1981
- Cub Scout Den Leader 1991-1993
- Established GED program at Faith Solders Word Ministry Church in Charlotte, NC

After such a rewarding career teaching, she retired to the much warmer ocean-side city - Saint Augustine, FL. Julia continues to be active in church and with community work. Her sons are married and she enjoys three grandchildren as often as possible.

Julia has enjoyed being a part of BANAA immensely, and working with the scholarship program which has been a great pleasure for her. She feels she will remember Boggs as a sacred spirit that imparted ideals and values that drove her toward success and a better life. And these standards will remain with her for the rest of her life.