MYRTLE COKER WILKINSON
A LEGACY OF DETERMINATION & GENEROSITY
EARLY YEARS & SACRIFICE
Born on a farm in Louisville, Tennessee, on September 13, 1915, Myrtle Coker was the eldest daughter of Erby and Ethel Coker. She graduated from Everett High School in 1932 and enrolled at Maryville College that fall alongside her brother, Walter. While commuting to campus, Myrtle participated in women’s athletics and worked as a seamstress in the College Maid Shop—a student work program that produced dresses, uniforms, and choir robes for national department stores—where she developed a lifelong mastery of sewing.
After her sophomore year, Myrtle withdrew from Maryville College due to financial constraints during the Great Depression. With family funding sufficient for only one child, she selflessly stepped aside so her brother Walter could complete his degree in History and pursue a career in teaching. Despite pausing her formal education, Myrtle qualified to teach in local county schools, starting her career at Louisville School in 1935—the same year she married Robert Gordon Wilkinson.
“She used her education to better the wider world through the lives of the five children she bore and those she taught in elementary school classrooms.” — Jerry Wilkinson
JOURNEY TO GRADUATION
Between 1937 and 1952, Myrtle raised five children while continuing to teach in Blount County. Determined to finish what she started, she attended summer workshops from 1948 to 1951 and added evening classes starting in 1950. On December 18, 1953, at age 38—and with a 1-year-old at home—Myrtle officially earned her bachelor’s degree from Maryville College.
Her achievement was a shared family effort. Her husband, Gordon, a machinist at Alcoa’s West Plant, rose at 5:00 AM daily and managed the household at night so Myrtle could study. Gordon even typed her senior thesis on a manual typewriter on their front porch. Though the Depression had limited Gordon’s own formal education, he was widely read and instilled a deep respect for learning in their home. Reflecting decades later on their efforts, Gordon noted, “It wasn’t a sacrifice. It was an investment.”
TEACHING & LASTING IMPACT
In a 40-year career across Blount County elementary schools—including Louisville, Christy Hill, Bungalow, and Mentor—Myrtle frequently managed classrooms with two grades at once. She maintained high standards as a firm but patient disciplinarian, placing a heavy emphasis on reading literacy to ensure every student performed at or above grade level.
Beyond the classroom, Myrtle served her community quietly and selflessly, teaching Sunday School for over 30 years at Immanuel United Methodist Church and helping neighbors in need without seeking recognition. Following an eye melanoma diagnosis in her mid-70s, she voluntarily participated in medical research studies to help advance treatments for future patients.
Her commitment to education bore extraordinary fruit at home: all five of her children graduated from college, earning four master’s degrees and three doctorates among them, going on to distinguished careers in engineering, veterinary medicine, nursing, insurance, and higher education.
“Myrtle Coker Wilkinson was a remarkable woman, and I know her story will inspire generations of students.” – Bryan Coker, Maryville College President
EXPLORE & CONNECT
Discover how the Myrtle Coker Wilkinson Honors Program empowers students through rigorous scholarship, community leadership, and dedicated mentorship.
