This day, March 5, 1920, Leontine Turpeau Kelly was born in Washington, DC. She went on to become the FIRST black woman bishop in the United Methodist Church.

Leontine earned a B.A. degree from Virginia Union University (1960) and has done graduate work in economics, history and humanities at North Texas State University, the University of Cincinnati, and the College of William and Mary. Leontine served as a public school teacher in Richmond and Northumberland County, Virginia for eight years.

Leontine completed the Course of Study for Ordained Ministers in the Virginia Annual Conference of the U.M. Church by attending summer school at Wesley Theological Seminary (1970, 1971). She earned her M.Div. degree from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia (1976).