Aaron Albert Mossell facts for kids
Aaron Albert Mossell II (born 1863 – died February 1, 1951) was a very important person in American history. He was the first African-American student to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. This was a big achievement for him and for civil rights.
His Early Life and Education
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Aaron Albert Mossell II was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in 1863. He was the youngest of six children. His parents had moved to Canada in the 1850s. They left Maryland to escape the unfair treatment and discrimination against Black people in the United States at that time.
His father, Aaron Albert Mossell I, was born in 1824. His grandparents had been enslaved. In Canada, his father became a brickmaker and went to school to learn to read and write. His mother, Eliza Bowers, was a free woman from Baltimore. Her family had been sent to Trinidad and Tobago when she was a child, but she later returned and met Aaron Mossell I.
Around 1870, the family moved back to the United States. They settled in Lockport (city), New York. While living there, Aaron Mossell I worked hard to make sure that local schools were open to all children, no matter their race. In 2021, a middle school in Lockport was named after him to honor his efforts.
Aaron Mossell II went to Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) for his college degree. After that, he studied law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In 1888, he made history by becoming the first African American to graduate from that law school.
His Career and Family
After finishing law school, Aaron Mossell II worked as a lawyer. He had an office in Philadelphia with two other African-American lawyers. He also served as a lawyer for the Frederick Douglass Memorial Hospital. His brother, Nathan, was the medical director there. Aaron Mossell II was known for helping African-American men during times of racial unrest in Philadelphia in the early 1900s.
Around 1890, Mossell married Mary Louisa Tanner in Philadelphia. They had three children who all grew up to do amazing things:
- Aaron Albert Tanner III (1893-1959) became a pharmacist in Philadelphia.
- Elizabeth Mossell Anderson (1894–1975) became a Dean of Women at Virginia State University and later at Wilberforce University in Ohio.
- Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander (1898–1985) also graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. She became a successful lawyer, worked for the city, and was a strong voice for civil rights.
Later in his life, Aaron Mossell II moved to Cardiff, Wales. He lived there from the 1930s until he passed away on February 1, 1951.
Images for kids
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Aaron Albert Mossell II (1863-1951) in 1888
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Aaron Mossell II's parents, Aaron Albert Mossell I and Eliza Bowers, with five of their children around 1905-1910. From left to right: May, Alvarilla, Charles, Aaron Albert Mossell II, and Nathan Francis Mossell.
