Sir Roger Makins, John A. Somerville and Vada Somerville at the British Embassy, Washington, D.C., 1954

Title: Sir Roger Makins, John A. Somerville and Vada Somerville at the British Embassy, Washington, D.C., 1954
Alternative title: Somerville community activities (2)
Date Created: April 1954
Date: 1954-04
Collection: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

Description: Sir Roger Makins was a British diplomat who served as British Ambassador to the United States from 1953 to 1956.
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. 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. John A. Somerville the day he was made an honorary officer of the "Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire" shaking the hand of Sir Roger Makins, British Ambassador, and accompanied by Dr. Vada Somerville.

Genre: photographs
Names: Order of the British Empire
Somerville, John Alexander, 1881-1973
Somerville, Vada, 1885-1972
Sherfield, Roger Mellor Makins, Baron, 1904-1996
Subject Geographic: Washington (D. C.)
Longitude: 38.920256
Latitude: -77.062925
Resource type: still image
Subjects: African American civil rights workers
African American businesspeople
African American dentists