Mary Frances Early (b.June 14, 1936) was the first African-American to earn a degree from the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia.

Early was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Early attended Atlanta's Turner High School and went on to graduate from Clark College (later Clark Atlanta University) with a bachelor's degree in music education in 1957.

Although already working on her postgraduate degree at the University of Michigan, she decided to transfer to UGA to participate in the integration of the school after hearing of the turmoil surrounding the arrival of UGA's first African-American students (Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter) just months earlier. Early enrolled in 1961 and received her master’s degree (MMEd) in music education in 1962. She also earned an Ed.S. degree in music education in 1967 from UGA.

Early worked as an adjunct professor at Morehouse and Spellman colleges and as a music coordinator and supervisor of Atlanta Public Schools. She became the first African-American president of the Georgia Music Educators Association in 1981. As of 2003, Early was the head of the music department at Clark Atlanta University.