Page 57 - DeKalb Bicentennial Flipbook

Luminaries of DeKalb County

TOBIE GRANT (1887-1968)
The woman behind the names of several places, including
Scottdale-Tobie Grant Library and Tobie Grant Recreation
Center, was renowned for predicting the future. Tobie Grant
was the 13th of 15 children in a family known for its line of
future-predicting women. She preferred to be referenced as a
“sense-giver.”
She was a spiritual advisor and financial advisor – a
businesswoman who owned real estate and operated two
insurance companies. She was adored in her community and
was known for her generosity and tenacity – assuring that
the KKK would have a powerful hex on them if they came
near. Some of her land holdings were donated to be used as
a county park.

BOBBY BURGESS (1931-2014)
Robert T. “Bobby” Burgess, Sr. of Stone Mountain
JOHN EVANS (1933-) dedicated his 45-year career to the DeKalb County Police
John Evans devoted 16 years as president of the Department. He was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson Law
DeKalb County NAACP branch. He resigned in 2016 to School when he joined the police force as a patrolman in
focus on his own civil rights organization, Operations Lead. 1957. He was known for his expectation of excellence, and
John Evans relocated from Chicago, Illinois to when he retired, he had been Chief of Police for 22 years,
Atlanta in 1965 to become business manager for The setting a record in the department.
Interdenominational Theological Center, a position he Burgess came from a long line of DeKalb men who served
held for 13 years. In 1983, he became DeKalb County’s their local community and government generations before
first African American Commissioner, working with him. The municipal building on 3630 Camp Circle next
CEO Manuel Maloof. to the jail was renamed the Robert T. Burgess building.

Sp i rit o f D eK alb – B i centen n ial 1822-2022 55