Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations. Group portrait of Dr. Vada Somerville, Marian Anderson, Martha Jefferson Louis and two other women in a living room. They were members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Martha Jefferson Louis was an attorney. She married the boxer, Joe Louis, in 1959. Marian Anderson was one of the most celebrated singers of the 20th century. Alpha Kappa Alpha (ΑΚΑ) is a Greek-lettered sorority, the first established by African-American college women on January 15, 1908 at Howard University. The membership is for college-educated women. Written on back of photo: From left: ____, (2) Dr. Vada J. Somerville, (3) Marian Anderson, (4) Martha Jefferson Louis (5)_____
Type
image
Identifier
uclalsc_1889_b25_f04_001a.tif ark:/21198/z1pp0pwx
Subject
African American Greek letter societies Anderson, Marian, 1897-1993 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Louis, Martha Jefferson, 1912-1991 Somerville, Vada, 1885-1972
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