Wesley Russell was an attorney in Los Angeles. He enlisted in December 1941. Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953. Captain Wesley A. Russell and his uncle, John A. Somerville, at a banquet table and in front of the painting "Benjamin Franklin's Book Shop" by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris. "Benjamin Franklin's Book Shop" was one in a series of paintings of scenes in American history by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris. The complete series was shown at Independence Hall in Philadelphia from 1913 to 1930, then moved next door to Congress Hall. In later years, it was shown in a number of locations, including the Smithsonian Institution, before being returned to the Ferris family.
Type
image
Identifier
uclalsc_1889_b14_f10_038a.tif ark:/21198/z11c3dzn
Subject
African American civil rights workers African American businesspeople African American dentists African American lawyers Somerville, John Alexander, 1881-1973 Russell, Wesley, 1921-1991
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
