Sadie Tenner Mossell Alexander (b. 1/2/1898 - d. 11/1/1989)
Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander accomplished many "firsts" inward her lifetime. Born Jan 2, 1898 inward Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Alexander would run on to run the get-go African-American adult woman to have a Ph.D. in Economics and the get-go African-American adult woman to have a police trace score from the University of Pennsylvania as well as run a Pennsylvania lawyer.

Born Sadie Tanner into a prominent African-American family, she grew upwards in the abode of her uncle Henry Ossawa Tanner, the internationally renowned painter.  Her granddad was Benjamin Tucker Tanner, bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church building and editor of both the African Methodist Episcopal Review (1884-1888) as well as the Christian Record (1868-1884). Aaron Albert Mossell, her father, was a graduate of Lincoln University as well as the get-go African American to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School inward 1888. Louis Baxter Moore, her uncle, was the get-go African American to have a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Henry Ossawa Tanner
Sadie Tanner attended high schoolhouse at the famous one m Street High School inward Washington D.C., which was afterward named Dunbar High School. She was encouraged past times her woman bring upwards as well as the historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson to run on her education. She was accepted into the University of Pennsylvania as well as past times 1918, she received a Bachelors of Science degree in Education amongst honors. In 1919, she received a Masters of Art score inward Economics. By 1921, she received a Ph.D. inward Economics from the Wharton School of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, becoming the first woman of African descent to have a Ph.D. inward Economics. Active inward the leadership of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, community evolution issues were rattling of import to Alexander. This was reflected inward the topic of her doctoral dissertation: "The Standard of Living Among One Hundred Negro Migrant Families inward Philadelphia."
Alexander amongst sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Alexander became an actuary amongst the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, a Black-owned insurance company in the thus booming Black Wall Street inward Durham, North Carolina. In 1923, Alexander married Raymond Pace Alexander, an alumni of Harvard Law School as well as late barred every bit an attorney inward Pennsylvania. Shortly after marrying Raymond Pace Alexander, she returned to schoolhouse to study law.


By 1927, Alexander became the get-go African-American adult woman to have an L.L.B. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School as well as was besides admitted to Pennsylvania State Bar every bit an attorney. Alexander was joining a tradition started past times Lutie Lytle, the get-go African-American adult woman lawyer inward the United States. Attorney Lytle had received her police trace score inward 1897 from the Tennessee Law School. 

"The heyday was Reconstruction, really," states police trace professor Judith Kilpatrick, writer of the Arkansas Law Review "(Extra)Ordinary Men: African-American Lawyers as well as Civil Rights inward Arkansas Before 1950," speaking on the do of police trace past times African Americans earlier as well as after Reconstruction, a brief historical period right away proceeding the destination of the U.S. Civil War. By 1890, similar many other states, Arkansas began to run past times laws "that forced Black people out of populace percentage as well as made it impossible to vote," says Kilpatrick.

Attorney Sadie Alexender
By the fourth dimension Alexander joined her husband's police trace firm, African American lawyers were faced amongst meaning state-imposed legal challenges to the civil rights secured after the U.S. Civil War. Together amongst her husband, Alexander challenged Jim Crow laws, fighting against segregation as well as discrimination inward Philadelphia's restaurants, hotels, as well as theaters. She was the get-go African-American adult woman to serve every bit assistant urban nub solicitor of Philadelphia, as well as was elected secretarial assistant of the National Bar Association inward 1943, the get-go adult woman to concur a national percentage inward the NBA.  

'Black professional person women may shed lite on the unique sense of a grouping that has conquered double discrimination," states McLean Tobin, writer of The Black Female Ph.D. "In nigh cases existence both Black as well as woman mortal produces a defeating situation. Sadie Alexander overcame this 'double jeopardy,' as well as paved the agency for her sisters to pursue doctoral degrees."

In 1947, U.S. President Harry S. Truman appointed Alexander to the President's Committee on Civil Rights. During her tenure nether this federal appointment, the written report "To Secure These Rights", became the footing for futurity civil correct policy making. In 1959, Alexander opened her ain police trace percentage as well as goodness at that spot for nearly twenty years. In 1974, Alexander received a 5th score from the University of Pennsylvania, an honorary score of Doctor of Laws. By 1976, she unopen her police trace percentage as well as joined the police trace home of Atkinson, Myers as well as Archie. She maintained an active membership inward nearly iii dozen local as well as national civic organizations spell practicing law. On Nov 1, 1989, attorney Alexander died at the historic menstruum of 91 inward her honey Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  

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