Marie Stapler Gladden was one of Apopka, Florida's most respected educators and community leaders. Born on March 13th, 1904, in Belleville, Florida, she was the seventh of ten total children. In childhood, the Stapler family moved from Belleville, Florida, to Sanford. Like many children of her generation, Marie received her early education at the historic Hopper Academy, one of the few schools in Florida that served Black students.

Driven by her passion for teaching, she would continue her education at Edward Waters College and earn a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Florida A&M University. She later received a master's degree and administrative certification from Teachers College, Columbia University. Marie began her teaching career at Hopper Academy, the very school that nurtured her love for education. She worked there for six years before moving on to opportunities at the Oakland Elementary School for African American children and later, the Clarcona Colored School. At Clarcona, her nephew, William
"Perrine Slim" Gladden Jr., remembered her as having taught grades 1-8 at once.

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After marrying grocer and Black community leader Michael Gladden Jr. in 1935, Marie Gladden began teaching at the historic Phyllis Wheatley High School in the late 1940s. Within two years, she was promoted to assistant principal. Marie eventually became the school's principal by the time Phyllis Wheatley became integrated in the 1960s. Upon her retirement in 1970, fellow educators established the Marie S. Gladden Scholarship Fund to support Apopka youth pursuing higher education. The Phyllis Wheatley School Lunchroom was also renamed to the Marie S. Gladden Lunchroom in her honor. Marie Stapler Gladden passed away on May 14, 2004, at the age of 100. She is remembered by generations of students whose lives she helped shape for her lifelong dedication to her community and her compassion and commitment to bettering the lives of future generations.