Connection- Mrs. George Thompson

A Life of Purpose and Connection

Ethel Clotilde Mitchell Young was born in Chicago on December 27, 1892, into a family that was deeply rooted in the city’s South Side Black professional community. Her mother, Mrs. H. H. Mitchell, was a familiar name in local social circles, and Ethel grew up surrounded by a large, supportive extended family—three sisters, three aunts, four uncles, and several cousins all lived nearby. This close-knit network gave her a strong sense of belonging and community from an early age.

Even though we don’t have a record of exactly where Ethel went to school, her involvement with Upsilon Delta Pi Sorority in 1911 tells us she was part of Chicago’s growing group of college-educated Black women. The sorority drew members from places like the University of Chicago, Northwestern, and Chicago Normal School, so it’s likely Ethel was studying or had recently finished her education around that time. Being part of this group meant she was already making connections with other young women who were passionate about education and community uplift.

Ethel’s life took a new turn in April 1914, when she married Walter Young of Evanston. The news made a bit of a splash in the Chicago Defender, with a cheeky headline about her “giving her parents a shock” by revealing the marriage after the fact. By 1920, the couple was living at 7035 Champlain Avenue with their son, Julius M. Young. Ethel’s family ties remained strong, and her obituary lists not just her immediate family but a whole network of relatives and friends who cherished her.

Her involvement with Upsilon Delta Pi Sorority was more than just a passing fancy. The sorority was described as “the only incorporated colored sorority in Chicago,” and its members, including Ethel, were active in education and civic work. Even after her marriage, Ethel stayed connected to the city’s social and intellectual circles, showing up in the Defender’s society pages and continuing to be a visible presence in Chicago’s Black professional community.

Through her sorority and social networks, Ethel was part of a vibrant movement of Black women who organized cultural events, supported education, and worked to uplift their communities. Her family’s social standing and her own leadership placed her at the heart of the organizations that would go on to shape Chicago’s Black Renaissance.

Tragically, Ethel’s life was cut short. She died on January 21, 1920, at the age of 27, after a brief illness. Her funeral was held at her home, and she was buried at Mount Glenwood Cemetery. She left behind her husband, son, mother, sisters, and a wide circle of relatives and friends who remembered her as a vibrant, dedicated woman.

Ethel’s legacy lives on through her family and the organizations she helped build. Her sister-in-law had become a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority like many of the members of Upsilon Delta  Pi Sorority Inc in 1912 and after being removed from its rolls in October of 1912 became  one of the founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at Howard University. Ethel’s own daughter later pledged Delta Sigma Theta’s Alpha Chapter. This intergenerational connection shows how Ethel’s life was part of a much larger story of Black women’s leadership and sisterhood, linking Chicago to the national movement for racial and gender advancement.

Ethel Clotilde Mitchell Young’s story is a reminder of the quiet but powerful impact one woman can have on her community, her family, and the generations that follow.