28 Days of Black at Brown: Day 18: Ethel Tremaine Robinson 1905, Brown's First Black Female Graduate

Throughout the month of February, Brown Athletics will celebrate Black History Month through the "28 Days of Black at Brown" series. Each day during the month, the Bears will recognize African Americans who have made an impact on the university community and beyond.

28 Days of Black at Brown

Ethel Tremaine Robinson 1905, Brown's First Black Female Graduate

Ethel Ester Maria Tremaine Robinson, Class of 1905, was the first black woman to graduate from Brown University. She excelled at her studies and graduated with honors from the Women's College in Brown University in 1905 with a Bachelor of Philosophy degree. Robinson paved the way at Brown for many women, including her younger sister Cora, who graduated in 1909. Returning to her hometown of Washington, D.C., Robinson shared the gift of education by teaching English and literature at Howard University. In 1908, she again made history by mentoring English student Ethel Hedgeman Lyle in her efforts to found the first black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.

Brown University Athletics

28 Days of Black at Brown: Day 18: Ethel Tremaine Robinson 1905, Brown's First Black Female Graduate

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