Names: Somerville, John Alexander, 1881-1973 - UCLA Library Digital Collections Search Results

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.
Date:: [1950s]
Resource Type:: still image
Collection:: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

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.
Date:: [1952-1962]
Resource Type:: still image
Collection:: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

Description:: John A. Somerville, seated in a group portrait with two other men and five women. They are all looking at a piece of paper held by one man.
Date:: [1950s]
Resource Type:: still image
Photographer:: Smith, Irving C.
Collection:: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

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.
Date:: June 20, 1928
Resource Type:: still image
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.
Date:: January 10, 1902
Resource Type:: still image
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.
Date:: [1950s]
Resource Type:: still image
Photographer:: Boucher, Hal
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.
Date:: [1950s]
Resource Type:: still image
Photographer:: Maxon
Collection:: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

Description:: Palmer van Gundy was an active member of the Church of Christian Fellowship, the Executive Director of the local, Los Angeles FEPC (Fair Employment Practice Committee) in 1947, involved in local church music events, and was a frequent contributor to the letters to the editor section of the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper from 1967 to 1986.
Date:: July 1947
Resource Type:: still image
Photographer:: McLain's Photo Service (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Collection:: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

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.
Date:: [1950s (?)]
Resource Type:: still image
Photographer:: Sheffield, Maceo B. (Maceo Bruce), 1897-1959
Collection:: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

Description:: The Circus Saints and Sinners Club of America is a national organization that raises money for local charities.
Date:: [1950s-1960s]
Resource Type:: still image
Collection:: Miriam Matthews Photograph Collection
OpenUCLA Collections

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