Alice Waring Holmes

Alice Mariah Waring Holmes
Born
Alice Mariah Waring

(1872-06-11)June 11, 1872
Oberlin, Ohio
DiedAugust 27, 1939(1939-08-27) (aged 67)
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Alma materHoward University Dental College (D.D.S.)
Occupations
  • Dentist
  • teacher
  • suffragette
SpouseJ. Welford Holmes
Children1

Alice Mariah Waring Holmes (June 11, 1872 – August 27, 1939) was an American educator, suffragette, and dentist, thought to be the first female Black dentist in Washington D.C.

Early life and education

Alice Mariah Waring was born on June 11, 1872, in Oberlin, Ohio, to William Waring and Amanda Fitz-Allen Hill Waring.[1]: 97  She was one of four children with siblings James, Lavinia and Robert.[1]: 97  She attended the Colored High School in Washington, D.C., and normal school.[1]: 225–226 [2]

She attended Howard University Dental College from 1897 through 1900 and received her D.D.S. in 1900.[1]: 225–226 [3]

Career

Holmes taught elementary school in the Washington, D.C., school system before and during the time she was attending medical school.[4][5] She had a medical office at 518 T Street NW, described as "the nicest office in her section of the city" by late 1900.[6][7][page needed] She advertised herself as a "surgeon dentist" and stated that children's work was her specialty.[7] She was elected to be the treasurer of the National Association of Colored Dentists in 1901.[8]

She moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, got married, and established herself as a suffragette, attending the National Women's Suffrage Conference in 1913 in her role as president of the Lucy Stone Women's Suffrage League.[9] She was a member of many local clubs including the Aurora Reading Circle and the Negro Women's Republican League where she acted as chairman.[10][11][12] She and Mrs. Israel Lee were chosen as alternates to the national convention at Pennsylvania's Women's Suffrage Convention.[9] In 1923, she was appointed to be an assistant in the Tax Revision office of Allegheny County.[13]

Personal life

Holmes purchased a lot in the Barry Farm area of Southeastern Washington, D.C., in 1903.[14] She married J. Welford Holmes, a Pittsburgh lawyer who belonged to many fraternal organizations including Prince Hall Freemasonry and the Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia.[15][16] They had one son, J. Welford Holmes Jr. who was born in 1908.[17] J. Welford Holmes Sr. died in 1922.[17]

Death

Holmes died on August 27, 1939, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Lamb, Daniel Smith (March 20, 2020). A historical, biographical and statistical souvenir, comp. and ed. for and by authority of the Medical Faculty of Howard University. hdl:2027/hvd.hn58rk. Retrieved May 5, 2021 – via HathiTrust.
  2. ^ "High School Alumni Formed". The Colored American. May 19, 1900. p. 4. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  3. ^ Dyson, Walter (May 3, 2020). Howard University, the capstone of negro education : a history, 1867-1940. p. 267. hdl:2027/mdp.39015006964129. Retrieved May 6, 2021 – via HathiTrust.
  4. ^ "Roster of the Teachers". The Evening Times. Washington, D.C. September 17, 1898. p. 8. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  5. ^ "Teachers Appointed". The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. July 16, 1895. p. 9. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  6. ^ "The Wise-Acres are saying..." The Colored American. October 27, 1900. p. 14. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Hilyer, Andrew F (June 10, 2020). The twentieth century Union League directory. A compilation of the efforts of the Colored people of Washington for social betterment. Retrieved May 6, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  8. ^ "Late Locals". The Colored American. July 13, 1901. p. 12. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Afro-American Notes". The Pittsburgh Press. December 7, 1913. p. 46. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  10. ^ "Afro-American Notes". Pittsburgh Press. February 1, 1925. p. 78. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  11. ^ "Additional Clubs". Pittsburgh Courier. August 25, 1923. p. 4. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  12. ^ "Mrs. Beatty Here June 16". Pittsburgh Courier. June 7, 1924. p. 4. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  13. ^ "Appointed!". Pittsburgh Courier. September 1, 1923. p. 3. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  14. ^ "Real Estate Transfers". The Washington Times. June 16, 1903. p. 10. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  15. ^ "Afro-American Notes". The Pittsburgh Press. December 17, 1922. p. 28. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  16. ^ Segal, G.R.; Higginbotham, A.L. (2016). Blacks in the Law: Philadelphia and the Nation. Anniversary Collection. University of Pennsylvania Press, Incorporated. p. 181. ISBN 978-1-5128-0640-3. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Death of Attorney Announced in Court". The Gazette Times. Pittsburgh. December 10, 1922. p. 14. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  18. ^ "Fond Farewell to Alice Holmes!". Pittsburgh Courier. September 2, 1939. p. 9. Retrieved May 6, 2021.