Summer 2002 volume 98 issue 3 : letters
Re: Spring '02 Letters
I would like to make a correction to the letter entitled, "Cover Story Revisited," by Ms. Frances Levison Low that was published in the Spring 2002 Alumnae/i Quarterly. Her letter referred to an earlier article in the Winter 2001 Quarterly about Anita Hemmings who "passed" for white and graduated in 1897 as the first "black" graduate of Vassar.
Ms. Low stated that Anita Hemmings attended "Mt. Herman" prep school. Actually, Northfield Seminary in Massachusetts was the girls' school from which Anita graduated in 1893. A lengthy article about Anita Hemmings, written by her great-granddaughter, Jillian Sims, appeared in the Spring 2001 NMH magazine. According to Ms. Sims, Anita Hemmings entered Northfield Seminary in 1892 "to improve her chances of being accepted at Vassar." Anita's room-mate there was "black." Northfield, an excellent, liberal prep school, had a history of admitting young women of color, even before 1892. I receive the NMH magazine because I am an alumna of Northfield School for Girls, class of 1951. Sometime after I graduated, Northfield and Mt. Hermon, the boys' school, became one school.
I am African-American and a proud and loyal graduate of both Northfield and Vassar, class of 1955. I was welcomed and well prepared at Northfield. I was accepted by Vassar for my qualifications, and was well educated there. I feel that it is important to give credit to Northfield for Anita Hemming's presence at Vassar, whatever the circumstances. The 2001 Vassar article indicated that Anita was almost denied her Vassar diploma when her racial identity was discovered. The article also stated that the first openly acknowledged Negro student entered Vassar in 1940.
Vassar has come a long way in its admission policy since Anita Hemmings' day. Salve, Vassar!
Sandra Koger Bussey '55
Kensington, California