WHITE PLAINS, Md. — As Charles County’s newest elementary school gears up for its opening this fall, the community gathered on June 24 to unveil a portrait in honor of Margaret Jamieson Thornton, the school’s namesake—celebrating a legacy rooted in education and service to Charles County children.
On June 24, the Charles County NAACP unveiled the official portrait of Mrs. Margaret Jamieson Thornton, the school’s namesake, during a ceremony inside the new building. The portrait will hang permanently in the school’s main entrance as a reminder of Thornton’s lasting impact on education and community service in Charles County.
The Charles County NAACP sponsored and presented the official portrait of Mrs. Margaret Jamieson Thornton during a special unveiling ceremony held inside the school. NAACP President Janice Sweat and members of the executive committee attended the event and were given a brief tour of the nearly completed building following the unveiling.
Set to welcome students for the first time in the 2025–26 school year, Margaret Jamieson Thornton Elementary School is located in the Highlands neighborhood off St. Charles Parkway and will be led by Principal Dr. Brian King. The school will serve more than 700 students in prekindergarten through fifth grade.
A Legacy Worth Celebrating
Margaret Jamieson Thornton was born in 1931 and raised in Port Tobacco, attending a one-room schoolhouse before continuing her education at Bel Alton Junior-Senior High. She went on to earn a master’s equivalent in early childhood education from Bowie State Teachers College and began her teaching career in Charles County in the 1950s.
Thornton was among the county’s first kindergarten teachers and a driving force behind establishing early childhood education in the district. Over her 30-year teaching career, she taught at schools including Port Tobacco, Bel Alton, Indian Head and Gale-Bailey elementary.
Outside of education, she co-founded Thornton Funeral Home in 1968 with her husband, where she also served as vice president and chief financial officer. She died in 1997 at age 65, remembered as a trailblazing educator, business leader and woman of deep faith and compassion.
School Naming Process
The school’s name was officially approved by the Charles County Board of Education on March 18, 2024, following a public naming process that drew more than 50 community submissions. A naming committee reviewed the entries and selected three finalists—Margaret Jamieson Thornton, Ronald E. McNair and White Plains Elementary—before the board made its final decision.
Learn more about Margaret Jamieson Thornton Elementary School at thornton.ccboe.com.
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