Walter Elder Sr., 89: High school instructor taught tools for success

Walt Elder taught young boys how to tie neckties. He explained when it was appropriate to wear a suit, tie or sport coat. And every man, the teacher said, should own a tuxedo.

It was a message the high school social studies instructor spread wherever he taught in a 40-year career. Donald A. Hillsman, a 1963 graduate of Atlanta's Turner High, said lessons in the classroom dealt with the real world.

"We'd talk about careers, a lot of things," the Atlanta attorney said. "The rule was to study hard, work hard. He would say that school doesn't teach you how to be a success. It just gives you some tools."

Walt Elder Jr. said his father always had a way with young people and enjoyed teaching boys about manhood.

"He loved teaching and I think he caught that bug early," his son said. "It kept him young. Not only did he teach about the subject matter, but he showed how the subject related to life."

For years, Walter Elder Sr. had been taking medication for prostate cancer. On Nov. 1 he died from complications of the disease at his home in Atlanta. He was 89. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Young Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Elder was the eldest of eight children. He was born in Fairburn and as a child moved with family to Atlanta. He graduated from Washington High, and enrolled at Morehouse College. He was drafted into the U.S. Army where for three years he taught academic courses.

After the military, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in the same subject from what is now Clark Atlanta University. His career as a social studies teacher included stops at several schools, including Turner and Dykes High, two Atlanta campuses now closed. At Dykes, he was one of the first black faculty members.

Even if you didn't have Mr. Elder for a teacher, you still knew of him. He dressed well and showed respect, said Nihillida Mathis, a 1963 Turner High grad.

"He was immaculate at all times, and he was the same inside," she said. "We all knew Mr. Elder by his persona. He was a good person to know."

Through the years, Mr. Elder had dabbled in acting and modeling. He appeared in "King," the 1978 television series that starred Paul Winfield and others. He also had a role in "Guyana Tragedy," the 1980 flick about Jim Jones, the self-proclaimed prophet.

"I would open up a Jet or Ebony magazine and see my dad," the son said. "My dad was a good-looking man, but it wasn't only that. It was the way he carried himself. My dad was my hero from beginning to end."