Drs. John and Vada Somerville with a man and woman in a home, 1950s-1960s

Title: Drs. John and Vada Somerville with a man and woman in a home, 1950s-1960s
Alternative title: Somerville community activities (1)
Photographer: Smith, Irving C.
Date Created: [1950s-1960s]
Date: 1950/1970
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.
Dr. Vada Somerville (left) and a woman look on as Dr. John Somerville (2nd from right) and a man shake hands in someone's home.
Caption: Photographer's stamp on back of photo: please credit photo by Irving C. Smith

Genre: photographs
Names: Somerville, John Alexander, 1881-1973
Somerville, Vada, 1885-1972
Resource type: still image
Subjects: African American civil rights workers
African American businesspeople
African American dentists
Shaking hands