Sadie Tanner (Mossell) Alexander Ph.D. (1898 - 1989)

Born 2 Jan 1898 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Died 1 Nov 1989 at age 91 in Andorra, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

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Sadie (Mossell) Alexander Ph.D. is Notable.

Sadie (Mossell) Alexander Ph.D. was a part of the US Civil Rights Activists Movement.

Sadie (Mossell) Alexander Ph.D. was born in Pennsylvania.

Biography

Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander holds the distinction of being the inaugural African-American to attain a Doctor of Philosophy degree in economics within the United States. Additionally, she was the first female to obtain a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and the foremost African-American woman to engage in the practice of law in the state of Pennsylvania.. ^[1] In addition to her academic and legal accomplishments, Alexander served as the inaugural national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, holding the position from 1919 to 1923. ^{[2] [3]} In 1946 she was appointed to the President's Committee on Civil Rights established by Harry Truman. She was the first African-American woman appointed as Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia. She and her husband were both active in civil rights. In 1952 she was appointed to the city's Commission on Human Relations, serving through 1968. She was President of John F. Kennedy Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (1963). In 1979, Jimmy Carter appointed her as chair of the White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA). She served on the board of the National Urban League for 25 years. ^[4] She was the first national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. ^[5]

FACTS ABOUT SADIE TANNER MOSSELL ALEXANDER, A REAL “FIRST” LADY BY BLACKTHEN - DECEMBER 27, 2019

Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, a prominent figure, was born in 1898 into a highly regarded family residing in Philadelphia. She was the daughter of Aaron A. Mossell, a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. . ^[6].It is worth noting that Sadie Mossell was born in the state of Pennsylvania, USA.

Sadie's father, Aaron Mossell, achieved the distinction of being the inaugural African American to obtain a law degree from the esteemed University of Pennsylvania. Subsequently, he emerged as a highly esteemed figure within Philadelphia's legal community, renowned for his advocacy in civil rights matters. Regrettably, Aaron faced considerable challenges in fulfilling his familial responsibilities, ultimately leading to his abandonment of the family a mere year following Sadie's birth.

She was awarded a scholarship to Howard University; however, her mother strongly encouraged her to enroll at the University of Pennsylvania, commencing in the autumn of 1915.

During her time at the University of Pennsylvania, she encountered various instances of discrimination from both fellow students and professors. Furthermore, despite graduating with distinction in 1918, and earning a B.S. degree in education, she was unjustly denied admission into Phi Beta Kappa.

Due to the limited employment opportunities available to African American women in Pennsylvania, she secured a position at the black-owned North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company in 1921.

In 1923, she returned to Philadelphia to marry her college sweetheart, Attorney Raymond Pace Alexander. She achieved the distinction of being the first African American to obtain both a Ph.D. and a J.D. degree, a remarkable feat. Following her graduation in 1927, she joined her husband's law firm, establishing one of the earliest husband-wife legal partnerships in the United States. As a highly regarded Philadelphia lawyer, she dedicated herself to advocating against racial discrimination, segregation, and employment inequality.

From 1928 to 1938, she served as the Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia, where she established a legal aid bureau to provide assistance to African Americans who lacked the financial means to hire lawyers.

In a groundbreaking move, President Harry S. Truman appointed her to the President's committee on the Civil Rights of All Races and Faiths in 1947, making her the first black woman to serve on a presidential commission.

In 1978, at the remarkable age of eighty-one, President Jimmy Carter appointed her as the chairperson of the White House Conference on Aging. However, her tenure was cut short in 1981 when President Reagan removed her from the position before the conference could take place.

Undeterred, Alexander continued to practice law in Philadelphia until she reached the age of eighty-five, leaving behind a lasting legacy of dedication and advocacy.^[7]

Legacy & Honors

• In 1948, the National Urban League honored Alexander as the distinguished "Woman of the Year" in its publication showcasing exemplary African American figures, entitled "Negro Heroes." ^[8]

• In the year 1970, Alexander was ultimately bestowed with the esteemed membership of Phi Beta Kappa, an honor that had been regrettably withheld during her time as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. ^[9]

• In the year 1974, Alexander was bestowed with an honorary doctorate by the esteemed University of Pennsylvania, marking the commencement of her illustrious journey of receiving a total of seven such distinguished accolades. ^[10]

• In the year 1980, Alexander was honored with the prestigious Distinguished Service Award bestowed upon him by the esteemed University of Pennsylvania's Law School. ^[11]

• The Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander University of Pennsylvania Partnership School, commonly referred to as ("Penn Alexander"), is an esteemed elementary school located in West Philadelphia. This educational institution proudly bears the name of Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, a prominent figure in history. The school was established through a collaborative effort between the University of Pennsylvania and the local community, with the University providing substantial financial and academic support.^[10]

• The University of Pennsylvania has established the Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Professorship as a tribute to her distinguished legacy.. ^[12]

• In 2018, The Sadie Collective, an organization dedicated to supporting Black Women in quantitative fields, established the first U.S. conference for Black Women in Economics. This groundbreaking event, held in 2019, garnered significant media coverage and attracted renowned economists such as Janet Yellen, former Chair of the Federal Reserve System, and James Poterba, the current president and CEO of the NBER. Notably, Dr. Rae Pace Alexander-Minter, Sadie Alexander's daughter, was in attendance at the conference, which took place at Mathematica Policy Research's Washington D.C. office.^[13]

• In 2018, Councilwoman Cherelle Parker of Philadelphia proposed a measure to commission the construction of a statue in honor of Alexander. ^[14]

New York Times Obituary

Sadie Tanner Mosell Alexander, a lawyer and civil rights advocate for 50 years who achieved a number of academic and professional distinctions as a black woman, died of pneumonia Wednesday at Cathedral Village, a retirement community, in Philadelphia. She was 91 years old and had been hospitalized with Alzheimer's disease in Cathedral Village since 1983.

Mrs. Alexander was appointed by Harry S. Truman to the President's Committee on Civil Rights, which issued a report in 1948 that cited the gap between American ideals and practice. In 1981 President Jimmy Carter named her chairwoman of the White House Conference on Aging.

On June 15, 1921, she became the second black woman in the United States to receive a Ph.D.; the first, Georgiana Simpson, got the degree a day earlier at the University of Chicago. Mrs. Alexander was also the first black woman in the nation to get a Ph.D. in economics and the first to receive a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1927, she became the first black woman to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania's Law School; her father had been the first black man to graduate from the school. And she became the first black woman to pass the Pennsylvania bar.

Before receiving her doctorate in economics, Mrs. Alexander had been the first national president of the black women's sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. Leader in Philadelphia.

Mrs. Alexander practiced law with her husband, Raymond Pace Alexander, a Harvard Law School graduate, until he became a judge in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. In the 1940's, she was assistant city solicitor in Philadelphia. Two decades later she headed the city's Commission on Human Rights.

She was active in the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Democratic Action and a board member of the National Urban League.

Mrs. Alexander's grandfather was Bishop Benjamin Tucker of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which was founded in Philadelphia. Her uncle was the 19th-century artist Henry Tanner.

Mrs. Alexander leaves two daughters, Rae Alexander-Minter, who is director of public programs in education at the New-York Historical Society, and Mary A. Brown of Washington; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. ^[2]

Grave Marker Identification

• Ph.D. Sadie Tanner (Mossell) Alexander ; Find A Grave: Memorial #16896380; West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Maintained by: FindAGrave Created by: Terry C (contributor 99292868); Record added: 3 December 2006; date accessed: 12 June 2020.

Notable Family Members

• Uncle Henry Ossawa Tanner, artist
  • Henry Ossawa Tanner '; Find A Grave: Memorial #38021103; Maintained by: Nathan Margrett (contributor 50054328) Created by: Rik Van Beveren (contributor 46956302); Record added: 6 June 2009; date accessed: 12 June 2020
• Grandfather Bishop Benjamin Tucker Tanner, editor of the Christian Recorder and the AME Church Review.
  • Benjamin Tucker Tanner ; Find A Grave: Memorial #194634267; Created by: Pam (contributor 48523084); Record added: 10 November 2018; date accessed: 12 June 2020
• Uncle Dr. Nathan F. Mossell, surgeon and founder of the Frederick Douglass Hospital (now Mercy-Douglass Hospital)
• Aunt Dr. Hallie Tanner Johnson, founded Tuskegee Institute’s Nurses’ School & Hospital.

Research Notes

• Graduate of M Street High School in D.C., now known as Dunbar High School. During her high school years, she lived with her uncle Lewis Baxter Moore, dean at Howard University. ^[15]

• On June 15, 1921, she became the second black woman in the United States to receive a Ph.D.; the first, Georgiana Simpson, got the degree a day earlier at the University of Chicago. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ "Lawyer Sadie Alexander, a Black pioneer dies at 91". Associated Press. November 3, 1989. Retrieved 2015-09-10.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "Sadie T. M. Alexander, 91, Dies; Lawyer and Civil Rights Advocate". New York Times. November 3, 1989. Retrieved 2014-08-17.

   On June 15, 1921, she became the second black woman in the United States to receive a Ph.D.; the first, Georgiana Simpson, got the degree a day earlier at the University of Chicago.

3. ↑ "Sadie T. M. Alexander". Washington Post. November 5, 1989.

   Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, 91, who was appointed by President Truman to the Committee on Civil Rights in 1948, and by President Carter as chairman of his White House Conference on Aging in 1981, died Nov. 1 at her home in Philadelphia. She had Alzheimer's disease. Mrs. Alexander, who is believed to be the first black woman to hold a doctorate in economics and to become a lawyer in Pennsylvania, founded a chapter of the Howard University-based black sorority Delta Sigma Theta, and became its first national president. She was active nationally in the....

4. ↑ "A lively leader for the WHCoA". Geriatric Nursing. 2 (3): 233–234. 1981-05-01. doi:10.1016/S0197-4572(81)80093-6. ISSN 0197-4572
5. ↑ Wikipedia: Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander
6. ↑ * 1900 Census: "1900 United States Federal Census"
   Year: 1900; Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 30, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Page: 9; Enumeration District: 0751; FHL microfilm: 1241472
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 7602 #58710781 (accessed 4 February 2022) )
   Sadie Mossell (2) daughter in household of Aaron A Mossell (36) in Philadelphia Ward 30, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Born in Pennsylvania, USA.
7. ↑ 20 facts About Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, a real first lady. Black Then. (2019, December 27). and archived link
8. ↑ "Alexander Family Collection". University of Pennsylvania University Archives and Records Center. Retrieved 2010-10-26.
9. ↑ Garner, Carla, "Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander (1898-1989)". BlackPast. Oct 29, 2010. Retrieved Jun 8, 2020.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} "Honoring Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander: A Role Model for Future Generations of Students", University of Pennsylvania Almanac, September 3, 2002, Volume 49, Number 2. accessed 31 March 2011
11. ↑ "A lively leader for the WHCoA". Geriatric Nursing. 2 (3): 233–234. 1981-05-01. doi:10.1016/S0197-4572(81)80093-6. ISSN 0197-4572
12. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-18. Retrieved 2012-05-01.
13. ↑ J.B. Wogan, "Making the Case for More Black Women in Economics," Mathematica. Apr 10, 2019
14. ↑ D’Onofrio, Michael. "Statue for lawyer, civil rights advocate long overdue, officials say". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved Jun 8, 2020.
15. ↑ "Alexander Family Collection". University of Pennsylvania University Archives and Records Center.

• "Lawyer Sadie Alexander, a Black pioneer dies at 91". Associated Press. November 3, 1989. Retrieved 2015-09-10. Sadie Tanner Mosell Alexander, a lawyer and civil rights advocate who achieved many firsts as a black woman, has died of pneumonia at age 91.

• "Sadie T. M. Alexander, 91, Dies; Lawyer and Civil Rights Advocate". New York Times. November 3, 1989. Retrieved 2014-08-17.

• "A lively leader for the WHCoA". Geriatric Nursing. 2 (3): 233–234. 1981-05-01. doi:10.1016/S0197-4572(81)80093-6. ISSN 0197-4572

See also:

• Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Video
• YouTube video Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander

• 2019 Sadie T.M. Alexander Conference for Economics and Related Fields Livestream
• YouTube video 2019 Sadie T.M. Alexander Conference for Economics and Related Fields Livestream

• A Song for Sadie Alexander, a Penn Alumna of Great Esteem
• YouTube video A Song for Sadie Alexander, a Penn Alumna of Great Esteem

• Black Women in Higher Education, Sadie TM Alexander
• YouTube video BWHE Sadie TM Alexander

Acknowledgements

• Thank you to Dave Kaufmann for creating this profile.