Stewart, Ella

Description

Ella Nora Phillips Stewart was born on March 6, 1893 in Berryville, Virginia. She desegregrated the University of Pittsburgh by being the first black student admitted in 1914. She graduated in 1916 with her PhD, and also passed the state examination, becoming the first African American female pharmacist in the state of Pennsylvania, and one of the first in the country. She operated her own drugstore in Bradner, Pennsylvania until 1918, then in 1920 she married William W. Stewart, who had been a lieutenant in World War l. He was also a pharmacist. They moved from Youngstown to Toledo in 1922, establishing a pharmacy at City Park and Indiana Avenues. They retired from the business in 1945. In her 60 years as a Toledo resident, Mrs. Stewart won countless honors for her civic and humanitarian efforts. Her renown spread throughout the United States and abroad. The Ella P. Stewart Academy was named in her honor in 1961. She died at the age of 94 in Toledo on November 27, 1987.

Record Contributed By

Toledo Lucas County Public Library

Record Harvested From

Ohio Digital Network