When Ann Bedsole pitched legislation in Montgomery more than 30 years ago to create a magnet school for gifted math and science students, she never dreamed she would be walking into the school at age 93 and receiving a diploma.

But that’s exactly what happened Tuesday inside the school’s cafeteria in midtown Mobile.

Related story: ‘Renaissance woman,’ ‘trailblazer’: Why Ann Bedsole will be honored in Mobile today

“Heavens, no,” said Bedsole, reacting to a question on whether she could have predicted the day’s events back in 1989, when she was the Senate sponsor of a bill that created the school. “Absolutely not. But I’m very proud of getting a diploma. Been needing a diploma for all these years.”

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Ann Bedsole Day

Bedsole was honored at the school with an honorary degree and graduation gown stole during “Ann Bedsole Day” as part of the institution’s 30th anniversary of its first graduating class in 1993. The school was created through legislation that was adopted in Montgomery in 1989.

Bedsole, the first woman ever elected to the Alabama Senate, was the bill’s sponsor who helped make the school a reality a few years after then-Gov. George Wallace asked Bedsole to begin investigating the creation of a gifted boarding school.

“The most valuable thing the Alabama School of Math and Science can bestow on anyone is to make you a graduate,” said John Hoyle, the president of the school, created through a public-private partnership, which provides a focus on math and science learning to Alabama students in grades 10-12.

He said the school will provide honorary degrees going forward and will name those degrees after Bedsole, who is credited as the school’s founder. The building on the school’s midtown Mobile campus is named after Bedsole.

“She has championed this school at every twist and turn, and sometimes strong-armed mayors and governors to make sure students have what they needed to succeed,” said Hoyle.

‘Standard of excellence’

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who gave Bedsole a challenge coin, said the goals set by Bedsole and the bill’s House sponsor – the late state Rep. Steve McMillan of Gulf Shores, who died last year at age 80 – “have not only been accomplished, but exceeded as well.”

“This school has set the standards for excellence in the state of Alabama,” she said.

Ivey’s appearance comes as school-related issues are a hot topic in Montgomery. A school choice measure is expected to be debated at the State House this week.

Criticism is also being directed at Ivey for her decision last week for the abrupt resignation of Barbara Cooper, secretary of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, over concerns from the governor’s administration about the content within a resource manual for pre-K teachers. According to Ivey’s staff, the book contained what they called “woke concepts.”

Ivey did not touch upon those issues and kept her comments brief before leaving to the school luncheon without taking questions from the media.

‘Leave Your Footprint’

Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson, meanwhile, called Bedsole a “giant” and praised her recently released autobiography, “Leave Your Footprint.”

He said he was “captivated” by the book and said it should be must-reading for freshmen legislators in Alabama.

Stimpson then referenced a chapter of the book in which Bedsole once lamented about Mobile as a city that could not achieve much.

“With your permission, I declare that Mobile is no longer that city of perpetual potential,” Stimpson said.

Bedsole said she has been pleased to see Mobile’s changes over the years. But she told AL.com on Monday that her No. 1 hope for the city is to move forward with a proposed annexation plan that is backed by the Stimpson administration.

“It hurts to see your city fall out from being the second largest city,” said Bedsole. “To be fourth or something like that … we are a great city. We should be No. 1, and not way down the line.”

The proposal from the Stimpson administration is to annex properties to the west and northwest of Mobile and adding in as many as 25,806 residents. The proposals, if adopted, could allow Mobile to leapfrog Montgomery and Birmingham and become the second largest city in Alabama trailing only fast-growing Huntsville.

The proposal needs approval from the Mobile City Council first before a special election can be set allowing for the residents in the unincorporated areas of the city to vote on it. If a majority of voters support annexation, the properties will be added into the city’s municipal boundaries.