Mary Saunders

Mary L. Saunders is a retired Major General from the United States Air Force, the highest ranking African-American woman in the Air Force at the time. She was named to the Texas Women's Hall of Fame in 2012.

She was born in Nacogdoches, Texas and grew up in Houston. Saunders began her career at the Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas; she was received her commission as a second lieutenant and began service in 1971. She earned a BSc in social work from Texas Woman's University and a MA in guidance and counselling from Rider College. Saunders attended Squadron Officer School and Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base and the National Security Leadership Course at Johns Hopkins University.

She has been awarded several major decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Joint Service Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, the National Defense Service Medal with two bronze stars and the Korea Defense Service Medal. She was the first female officer to serve as Director of Transportation for the United States Air Force. Each year three three Distinguished Service Chapter awards and the Excellence in Leadership Award scholarship are presented in her name.

After she retired from the Air Force in October 2005, she was named executive director for the Texas Woman’s University Leadership Institute; Texas Woman’s University also named her a Distinguished Alumni and a Woman of Distinction. In 2010, the Texas governor gave her the Yellow Rose of Texas Award.