Thirty-fifth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1947

Title: Thirty-fifth wedding anniversary of Drs. John and Vada Somerville, Los Angeles, 1947
Alternative title: John and Vada Somerville, couple and anniversary photographs
Photographer: Gilwee, Jim
Date Created: October 16, 1947
Date: 1947-10-16
Collection: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

Description: 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.
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.
Drs. John and Vada Somerville standing behind the banquet table at their 35th wedding anniversary party. This is at their home at 2401 Harvard Blvd. where the Somervilles lived from 1944 to 1950/51.
Caption: Photographer's stamp on back of photo: Photograph by / Jim Gilwee / Hollywood California / #640

Genre: Portrait photographs
Names: Somerville, John Alexander, 1881-1973
Somerville, Vada, 1885-1972
Subject Geographic: Los Angeles (Calif.)
Longitude: 34.036561
Latitude: -118.306518
Resource type: still image
Subjects: Wedding anniversaries
African American civil rights workers
African American businesspeople
African American dentists