Mary “Lois” Tinson died on Dec. 28 after an extensive illness at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Los Angeles. Tinson, the former president of the California Teachers Association, worked to secure passage of the state’s landmark Class Size Reduction law, which established the CTA as a significant political force on behalf of the California public school system. Tinson was also an English teacher at North Park High School and a teacher of grade school education
at Pepperdine University. Tinson began her teaching career in Arkansas City and then relocated to the Los Angeles area in 1961. She received her master’s and doctorate degrees from Pepperdine University. She was the CTA’s first ethnic minority president, and her expertise earned her a place in “Who’s Who in Black America” and “Who’s Who Among International Women.” Tinson is survived by her husband David, two sisters, two brothers, and several nieces and nephews.