Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962

Title: Fiftieth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1962
Alternative title: Somerville community activities (1)
Date Created: October 16, 1962
Collection: OpenUCLA Collections
Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection

Description: Dr. Vada Somerville (born Vada Jetmore Watson) of Pomona graduated from USC, married dentist John Alexander Somerville (1912), was the first African American woman and the second African American person to graduate from USC School of Dentistry (1918), and was the first African American woman certified to practice dentistry in the state of California. She was a civil rights activist, highly involved in several civic and community organizations.
Minnie Pickens was the wife of William Pickens, a writer, orator, and official of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Dr. John Somerville, born in Jamaica, was the first black graduate of USC School of Dentistry (1907). He married Vada Jetmore Watson (1912), who also became a dentist. He built the Somerville Hotel (1928), was instrumental in the founding of the Los Angeles chapter of NAACP (1914), and served on the Police Commission 1949-1953.
Miriam Matthews was hired in 1927 as the first African American librarian in the Los Angeles Public Library. Matthews was also a civil rights activist, historian, and collector of African American art and primary source materials. She was the sister of businesswoman Ella Matthews and lawyer Charles Matthews,
50th wedding anniversary celebration, with Dr. Vada Somerville (3rd from left) and friends.
Dr. Alice Watkins Garrott was a dentist who married dentist. Dr. Alva Curtis Garrott.

Genre: Portrait photographs
Subject topic: Wedding anniversaries
African American dentists
African American civil rights workers
African American businesspeople
Names: Garrott, Alice Watkins, 1889-1985
Somerville, John Alexander, 1881-1973
Somerville, Vada, 1885-1972
Pickens, Minnie, b. 1880
Matthews, Miriam
Subject geographic: Los Angeles (Calif.)
Resource type: still image