Independent Historian

Constance Porter Uzelac, formerly a medical librarian, is the guardian and keeper of the numerous books, papers and art works that once belonged to her parents and is now devoting her life to organizing and managing the Dorothy Porter Wesley Research Center (incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in 1995), an archive of items from the estates of her parents, James Amos and Dorothy Louis Burnett Porter, and step-father, Charles Harris Wesley.

Her publications include William Cooper Nell: Nineteenth-century abolitionist, historian, integrationist; selected writings, 1832-1874; articles such as recently appeared in the winter 2006 issue of the International Review of African American Art on the dialogue between Henry O. Tanner and James A. Porter and another article which appeared in the March/April issue of Homes of Color.  One of her latest accomplishments includes a catalogue to accompany the exhibition, James A. Porter: From Me To You, now traveling the country under the auspices of the N’namdi Gallery with locations in New York City, Detroit and Chicago.

Dorothy Porter Wesley (1905-1995)

Dorothy Porter Wesley (1905-1995), a scholar-librarian and bibliographer was born in Warrenton, Virginia in 1905, to her father, Hayes Joseph Burnett, a physician, and her mother, Bertha Ball Burnett, a tennis champion.  After receiving her A.B., from Howard University in 1928, she became the first … Read MoreDorothy Porter Wesley (1905-1995)