Photograph of William Naylor Buckner Jr. and Mary Elizabeth Cooke Buckner

This photograph is the wedding portrait of Mary Elizabeth Cooke Buckner (1891-1978) and William Naylor Buckner, Jr. (1888-1984). The couple married on June 22, 1918 in Washington, DC, soon after William had been drafted into the National Army Training Corps where taught carpentry to soldiers. Mary and William were long time teachers, with both serving over 45 years in the D.C. public school system before their joint retirement in 1957. During their careers, William was the principal of Phelps Vocational School and Armstrong High School, and Mary served on the board of directors of the DC chapter of the International Association for Childhood Education, as well as the board of directors of the Old Teachers Union No. 6., and the DC Public Health Advisory Board.