Faithful to the Task at Hand: The Life of Lucy Diggs Slowe

by Carroll L.L. Miller, Anne S. Pruitt-Logan

Overview

The story of Lucy Diggs Slowe, a pioneering African American figure in sports and education

Born just twenty years after the end of slavery and orphaned at the age of five, Lucy Diggs Slowe (1885–1937) became a seventeen-time tennis champion and the first African American woman to win a major sports title, a founder of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and the first Dean of Women at Howard University. She provided leadership and service in a wide range of organizations concerned with improving the conditions of women, African Americans, and other disadvantaged groups and also participated in peace activism. Among her many accomplishments, she created the first junior high school for black students in Washington, DC.

In this long overdue biography, Carroll L. L. Miller and Anne S. Pruitt-Logan tell the remarkable story of Slowe's steadfast determination working her way through college, earning respect as a teacher and dean, and standing up to Howard's President and Board of Trustees in insisting on equal treatment of women. Along the way, the authors weave together recurring themes in African American history: the impact of racism, the importance of education, the role of sports, and gender inequality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781438442600
Publisher:	State University of New York Press
Publication date:	06/01/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	500
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Carroll L. L. Miller (1909–2003) was Dean of the Howard University Graduate School. Anne S. Pruitt-Logan is Professor Emerita of Educational Policy and Leadership at The Ohio State University. She is the coauthor (with Jerry G. Gaff and Richard A. Weibl) of Preparing Future Faculty in the Sciences and Mathematics: A Guide for Change and Building the Faculty We Need.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction 1

1 The Early Years 7

2 The College Years: 1904-1908 21

3 Public School Teacher, Principal, and Tennis Champion: 1908-1922 39

4 A Call to Alma Mater and the Durkee Years: 1922-1926 79

5 The Dean of Women and President Mordecai Wyatt Johnson-The Early Years: 1926-1930 131

6 The Middle Johnson Years: 1931-1934 149

7 Dean Slowe and President Johnson-The Latter Years: 1934-1937 207

8 Shared Interests 237

9 Views and Philosophy 287

10 A Celebration of Life 325

11 The Things One Keeps 339

12 Conclusion 345

Notes 351

Bibliography 417

Index 429

What People are Saying About This

Linda M. Perkins

This is THE authoritative source to date on Lucy Diggs Slow. It contributes to African American history American history, the history of higher education, women's educational history, and women's history in general. (Linda M. Perkins, Claremont Graduate University)

Editorial Reviews

The realization of this work is no small feat. It's a testament to how the tenacious Slowe made the grade and altered the educational landscape.— Phi Kappa Phi Forum

"This is THE authoritative source to date on Lucy Diggs Slow. It contributes to African American history American history, the history of higher education, women's educational history, and women's history in general."— Linda M. Perkins, Claremont Graduate University"

From the Publisher