Thelma Lane Baltimore
William and Elizabeth Beckett’s only child, Mayme, became a teacher before marrying Francis Sumner Lane. The couple had one daughter, Thelma, born in the house on M Street NW exactly two weeks before her grandfather’s death in January 1911.
Thelma graduated as valedictorian from Miner Teachers College in 1930, earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Howard University, and a master’s degree in administration from New York University. In 1933, she married Charles H. Baltimore, a fellow Washingtonian and third-generation educator. She spent more than 40 years as an educator and administrator within the District of Columbia.
Thelma Lane Baltimore (Francis A. Gregory Genealogical Collection, The Peoples’ Archive, DC Public Library)
William Beckett’s daughter and granddaughter, Mayme Beckett Lane and Thelma Lane Baltimore (Francis A. Gregory Genealogical Collection, The Peoples’ Archive, DC Public Library)
Thelma and Charles Baltimore never had children, so William Beckett has no living descendants. But Thelma did make sure her grandfather’s story would be remembered. Many of the photographs in this exhibit are from her album, and its handwritten notes preserve the legacy of a grandfather she never knew.