Ethel Jones Mowbray
Encyclopedia
Ethel Jones-Mowbray was one of the twenty founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority founded by African American women. Her legacy was an organization that has helped African American women succeed in college, prepare for leadership and organize in communities, and serve their communities in later life. The sorority has continued to generate social capital for nearly 100 years.
Ethel enrolled in Howard University
in 1906 in the College of Arts and Sciences. In those years, only 1/3 of 1% of African Americans and 5% of whites attended any college, and Howard University was considered the top historically black college.
Sorority. She participated in the first Ivy Day ceremonies on May 25, 1909, when members started a tradition of planting ivy at Miner Hall.
In 1909 Ethel Jones was the first vice-president of Alpha Kappa Alpha. The following year she served as president of the chapter.
Ethel Jones graduated in 1910 with a bachelor's degree
in math
and a minor in education
.
, Norma Boyd, Nellie Pratt Russell
and Minnie B. Smith
decided to incorporate Alpha Kappa Alpha and completed the process on January 29, 1913. In 1913, Mowbray was the vice-president of Alpha Kappa Alpha's first directorate.
A group of women who wanted a different direction split from Alpha Kappa Alpha and formed Delta Sigma Theta
.
, where George did graduate work at the University of Chicago
.
In 1914, Ethel and her husband moved to Kansas City
, Kansas
. She worked as a culinary artist
, while her husband was a teacher in the Kansas City public schools. Ethel later owned and operated a catering business.
In 1924, Mowbray chartered Mu Omega chapter in Kansas City. She encouraged expansion of Alpha Kappa Alpha in other cities as well. Mowbray worked with the Parent Teacher Association as a junior high school "room mother", where she assisted the teacher.
Ethel and George Mowbray had two children, Geraldine and Helen. Geraldine went to medical school, practiced as a physician, and married. She also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
To keep her mind sharp, Mowbray enjoyed playing with three bridge clubs
. Mowbray died on November 25, 1948, in Kansas City, Kansas. Alpha Kappa Alpha's Educational Advancement Foundation has an endowment
in Mowbray's honor.
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority founded by African American women. Her legacy was an organization that has helped African American women succeed in college, prepare for leadership and organize in communities, and serve their communities in later life. The sorority has continued to generate social capital for nearly 100 years.
Early life
Born to Mr. and Mrs. George Jones, in Baltimore, Maryland, Ethel lost her mother at birth. Her father raised her alone until she was ten. Later, Ethel Jones was raised by a foster family, the Myers. Ethel Jones was educated in Baltimore public schools, and graduated with honors.Ethel enrolled in Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in 1906 in the College of Arts and Sciences. In those years, only 1/3 of 1% of African Americans and 5% of whites attended any college, and Howard University was considered the top historically black college.
Founding of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
At Howard, Ethel was one of seven sophomore honor initiates into Alpha Kappa AlphaAlpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
Sorority. She participated in the first Ivy Day ceremonies on May 25, 1909, when members started a tradition of planting ivy at Miner Hall.
In 1909 Ethel Jones was the first vice-president of Alpha Kappa Alpha. The following year she served as president of the chapter.
Ethel Jones graduated in 1910 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in math
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and a minor in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
.
Incorporation of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Ethel Mowbray, Nellie Quander, Julia Evangeline BrooksJulia Evangeline Brooks
Julia Evangeline Brooks was an incorporator of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority founded by African American women. The sorority has continued to generate social capital for nearly 100 years....
, Norma Boyd, Nellie Pratt Russell
Nellie Pratt Russell
Nellie Pratt Russell was an incorporator of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority founded by African-American college women...
and Minnie B. Smith
Minnie B. Smith
Minnie B. Smith was an incorporator of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the first sorority founded by African American women. Although Smith died young in the influenza epidemic in 1919, the legacy she created with Alpha Kappa Alpha has continued to generate social capital for nearly 100 years.Minnie...
decided to incorporate Alpha Kappa Alpha and completed the process on January 29, 1913. In 1913, Mowbray was the vice-president of Alpha Kappa Alpha's first directorate.
A group of women who wanted a different direction split from Alpha Kappa Alpha and formed Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...
.
Career and civic activities
After college, Jones first taught in Baltimore public schools for a few years. In 1913, she married George Mowbray, whom she had dated since college. Ethel and George Mowbray moved to ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where George did graduate work at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
In 1914, Ethel and her husband moved to Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. She worked as a culinary artist
Cook (profession)
A cook is a person who prepares food for consumption. In Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Canada this profession requires government approval ....
, while her husband was a teacher in the Kansas City public schools. Ethel later owned and operated a catering business.
In 1924, Mowbray chartered Mu Omega chapter in Kansas City. She encouraged expansion of Alpha Kappa Alpha in other cities as well. Mowbray worked with the Parent Teacher Association as a junior high school "room mother", where she assisted the teacher.
Ethel and George Mowbray had two children, Geraldine and Helen. Geraldine went to medical school, practiced as a physician, and married. She also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
To keep her mind sharp, Mowbray enjoyed playing with three bridge clubs
Contract bridge
Contract bridge, usually known simply as bridge, is a trick-taking card game using a standard deck of 52 playing cards played by four players in two competing partnerships with partners sitting opposite each other around a small table...
. Mowbray died on November 25, 1948, in Kansas City, Kansas. Alpha Kappa Alpha's Educational Advancement Foundation has an endowment
Financial endowment
A financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
in Mowbray's honor.