Career/Impacts
After her time at Creighton, Edwards briefly moved to Milwaukee to teach at St. Bonaventure High School before coming back to Omaha where she was the first African American teacher in the Archdiocese of Omaha. In Omaha, she taught at St. Pius Elementary School (11 years) and Creighton Prep (23 years) for a total of 34 years. She was recognized by many students after her passing as a remarkable teacher who cared deeply for her students. Louis Finocchiaro described her as a “bright, positive, and steady influence to many of us in her World History Classes” and another student described her as “a powerful and good influence on everyone whose life intersected with hers.” Her caring and compassionate nature is also expressed through Maggie Roccaforte who told the story of how she accidentally ended up in the “smart” homeroom where she was not supposed to be, and upon moving to Edward’s room was embarrassed and upset, but was greeted with kindness as Tessie expressed “Miss Roccaforte, I would count it a privilege to have you in my room. Please stay.” (legacy.com, 2012).
She was also involved in the larger Omaha community, including the League of Women Voters, Young Women’s Christian Association, The Women’s Fund, All Our Kids, Duchesne Academy and Marian High School, National Board of Trustees for Boys Town, Creighton’s Alumni Advisory Board, and the Landmarks Heritage Preservation Commission. She also helped to found the Black Student Catholic Educational Endowment Trust, a scholarship that is now named after her, the Ms. Tessie O. Edwards Memorial Scholarship, and has helped about 500 students (Catholic Futures Foundation, n.d.). On April 29, 2026, with the advocacy and efforts of her previous students, a stretch of Western Avenue was named after her in honor of the impact she made on the community and countless students.
