Who was M. D. Roberts?
M. D. Roberts Middle School was named in honor of a family man who had a strong commitment to education and the community. Moddie Decker Roberts was a trendsetter, mediator, and a source of strength for the community throughout his tenure with the Clayton County Public Schools.
Mr. Roberts was the sixth of ten children. He received his educational training from Georgia Normal and Industrial Institute, Morris Brown College, University of Michigan, University of Hawaii, and Georgia State University. He also held an honorary Ed.D from Birmingham Baptist University. Mr. Roberts also had experience as a World War II veteran, a government civilian who worked in post-war Europe, and an educational leader from Twiggs County.
In 1952, Clayton County decided to consolidate the many one-room schools used to educate the minority children throughout the county. Mr. Roberts was appointed principal of the new Fountain High School. Mr. Roberts worked thirty-one years as principal of Fountain High School. Under his guidance, the staff and student populations grew and Fountain became known as the school with a “forward look.” Mr. Roberts implemented a variety of programs that raised the self-esteem of the students and made them confident and proud of their dynamic heritage.
Mr. Roberts was an advocate of quality education and a respected community leader. His strong leadership assisted the school system integrate smoothly during the challenging period of the 1960’s.
Because of Mr. Robert’s legacy, his service as a humanitarian, and his outstanding contributions to education in Clayton County, our school was named in his honor, M. D. Roberts Middle School.