Melnea A. Cass papers

Community and civil rights activist Melnea Agnes Cass was born on June 16, 1896 in Richmond, Virginia. In 1901, her father, Albert Jones, moved the family to the South End neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. Her mother, Mary Drew Jones, died three years later, and Cass and her two sisters were raised by their father and aunt. In 1914, she graduated as valedictorian from the St. Frances de Sales Convent School, a Catholic school for African American and Native American girls in Virginia. After graduation, Cass was a domestic worker in Boston until she married Marshal Cass in December 1917. The couple had three children.

After her marriage, Melnea Cass became involved in the community, earning her the nickname "The First Lady of Roxbury." After the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, she participated in a drive to help African American women to vote. In the 1930s, she was active in local and national social justice organizations, including the Sojourner Truth Club, the Robert Gould Shaw House, and the Northeastern Region of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs. In 1949, she joined the Board of Directors for Freedom House, a community improvement foundation in Roxbury, Massachusetts, founded by Otto and Muriel Snowden. In 1950, Boston Mayor John Collins appointed her as the only female charter member to the Action for Boston Community Development, which assisted people who lost their homes to urban renewal efforts. From 1962 to 1964, Cass was president of the Boston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). From 1975 to1976, Cass was chairperson for the Massachusetts Advisory Committee for the Elderly. She was also vice president of the Harriet Tubman House for 20 years as well as president of the Women's Service Club for 17 years. She served on the Board of Overseers of Public Welfare for 10 years. Melnea A. Cass died on December 16, 1978.

1896 Jun 16

Born in Richmond, VA

1901

Family moved to Boston, MA

1904

Mother died

1914

Graduated as Valedictorian from St. Frances de Sales Convent School in Rock Castle, Virginia

1917

Married Marshall Cass (d. 1958)

1930s

Began volunteer work, particularly for civil rights causes

1949

Became a member of the Board of Directors of the Freedom House in Dorchester, Massachusetts

1950

Named a committee member of the Action for Boston Community Development

1962

Became president of the Boston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

1966 May 22

Melnea Cass Day declared in Boston

1968 Jun 19

Melnea Cass Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) Swimming and Skating Rink dedicated by Gov. John Volpe

1969 Jun 15

Received honorary doctorate from Northeastern University

1971 May 15

Received honorary doctorate from Simmons College

1975

Received honorary doctorate from Boston College; Appointed chairperson for the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Affairs of the Elderly

1978 Dec 16

Died

1981

Melnea Cass Boulevard named in Roxbury, MA