Page 13 - Distinguished Daughters Special Edition

served on the Human Rights Commission;
she was always a staunch advocate for the
rights of women.
Pauline Richardson Oberdorfer Minor
(June 1910)
Many GHS
alumnae have
gone on to achieve
great things and
more than a few
have had
accomplishments
that impacted their located around the world. Delta focuses on
communities and
on society as well. development, education, international
Pauline was one of
the 22 founders of Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Inc. Her achievements and
those of her sister founders not only
impacted many in the society of her era:
Their work still reaches out in our time
and has grown exponentially. It
influences the lives of some 300,00
women around the world today and this
influence will continue on in the future.
Pauline was born in the south, in Virginia.
She was a very little girl when she was
sent to Philadelphia to live with an uncle
and aunt, who brought her up. After
completing elementary school, she
entered the prestigious Philadelphia High
School for Girls and graduated in 1910.
Pauline went on to enter the Teachers
College at Howard University with financial
help from her church and graduated at
the head of her class in 1914. She was
valedictorian of her class. In 1913 she
and 21 of her classmates joined in a
heroic action—the founding of Delta Sigma
Theta Sorority. This was a time of
widespread and massive racial and gender
discrimination. Poverty held sway over an
overly large number of people. A major
portion of the population was denied the
right to vote. Distinguishing themselves
from other social organizations of the
time, the young Delta founders were
eager to meet the challenge of fighting for
racial and gender equality in education,
job opportunities, the right to vote, and
many other social welfare issues. Their
first social rights activity was on March 3,
1913, when they joined a large number of
women's organizations in a massive march
and demonstration demanding voting
rights for women. As with fighters for
racial equality, suffragettes faced prison,
police brutality, and even death. As
African American women, the new Deltas
faced double jeopardy fighting for equal
rights on multiple fronts, but they never
faltered. Delta Sigma Theta
flourished and grew. Today, more than
300,000 college- educated women are
members of college and alumnae chapters
programs that involve economic
awareness and involvement, physical and
mental health, and political awareness and
involvement. All members are actively
engaged either locally, nationally or
internationally in programs that support
social welfare, benefit communities—
locally and globally—and improve and
strengthen families. All of these works
have grown from the vision and work of
the 22 original founders. Pauline’s
personal life was one of achievement. She
had a long career as a teacher. She had a
lovely mezzo-soprano voice and was a
skilled recitalist. She was a composer of
hymns, including "Get Off the Judgment
Seat" and "My Lord is a Refuge." Toni
Nottingham, our Alumnae President and a
Delta said of her, "She is a shining
example of the impact of a Girls High
education and her singular
accomplishment continues to impact
educated women around the world today
and will continue to do so for generations
to come."
Jill Scott (June 1990) The multi-
talented, triple
threat (singer,
actor, and
songwriter)
Jill took the
neo-soul/R&B
music scene
by storm with
the release of
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