Former State Senator and Representative for Washington’s 26th District, William “Bill” Smitherman was born on July 31, 1943. He grew up in Lakewood and graduated from Clover Park High School in 1962. He and his wife Karen, a retired Tacoma public school teacher and administrator, … Read MoreWilliam Smitherman (1943- )
Although the facts regarding his birthplace and biological parents are inconclusive, Countee Cullen’s formative years were spent in New York City. The adopted son of Reverend Dr. Frederick A. Cullen, pastor of Salem Methodist Episcopal Church and president of the Harlem branch of the National … Read MoreCountee Cullen (1903-1946)
Thelma Dewitty was the first black teacher to be hired by the Seattle Public Schools. She had been a teacher in Corpus Christi, Texas for 14 years and began her Seattle teaching career in September 1947, after intervention on her behalf by the Seattle Urban … Read MoreThelma Dewitty (1912-1977)
Constance Allen Pitter Thomas, the eldest of the Pitter Sisters, was born July 13, 1917, to Edward A. Pitter and Marjorie Allen Pitter, in the East Madison Street district of Seattle, Washington. She grew up in a very close-knit family and community, in which she … Read MoreConstance Allen Pitter Thomas (1917-2006)
Edward Alexander Bouchet was born on September 15, 1852 in New Haven, Connecticut to William Francis and Susan Cooley Bouchet. Edward attended the segregated primary school in New Haven and later finished his secondary education at Hopkins Grammar School in 1870. An outstanding student, Edward’s … Read MoreEdward Alexander Bouchet (1852-1918)
