Dr. Otelia Cromwell

Otelia Cromwell (1874–1972) was born in Washington, D.C., into the Cromwell–McGuinn–Tanner family, described as part of the city’s free-Black intellectual aristocracy, and was raised in a scholarly household shaped by her father, attorney and educator John Wesley Cromwell. She became the first African American woman to graduate from Smith College in 1900, later earning additional degrees from Columbia and Yale. Having joined the sorority in its infancy, she was announced as an Honorary member in 1913. The Washington Bee identified her as an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. By 1929, she was representing the sorority at national meetings. Cromwell spent her career in Washington’s Black educational system, teaching English, heading the Literature Department at Miner Teachers College, and eventually serving as Dean of Women for the D.C. public schools. She also engaged in interracial peace work, advised civic organizations, and corresponded with W.E.B. Du Bois. Smith College later established “Otelia Cromwell Day” to honor her contributions to scholarship and educational justice.