BRYSON CITY, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina highway historical marker is being placed in Bryson City to honor a North Carolina native who was the first U.S. commissioner of public welfare in a department created by President John F. Kennedy.

A ceremony is scheduled for Saturday afternoon to honor Ellen Black Winston, who held the post for four years, beginning in 1963, in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The ceremony will be held at the Marianna Black Public Library and move to the nearby Federal Building for the unveiling of the marker.

Winston was appointed the North Carolina commissioner of public welfare in 1944 and was the highest ranking female executive in state government until 1963, when she was appointed to the federal post. She resigned in 1967 and died in 1984.