Grace Dammann facts for kids

Grace Cowardin Dammann, a member of the Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), was an important leader. She served as the president of Manhattanville College. Grace Dammann was also a strong supporter of civil rights for many years. Under her guidance, Manhattanville College welcomed its first African American student in 1938. The name of this student is not known, but her picture appeared in the Amsterdam News newspaper in the mid-1940s.

Grace Dammann: A Champion for Fairness

Joining the Sacred Heart Sisters

Grace Dammann joined the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1898. This is a group of Catholic sisters dedicated to education. In 1912, she became the headmistress of the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Eden Hill, Pennsylvania. She played a key role in passing the Manhattanville Resolution. This resolution encouraged Sacred Heart schools to accept African American girls. Grace herself studied at Georgetown Visitation Academy. However, because of the social rules at that time, she was not able to graduate from college.

Leading Manhattanville College

Dammann became the president of Manhattanville College in 1930. As president, she actively looked for talented teachers from Europe. She once said she wanted to make Manhattanville "the best Catholic college." She is especially remembered for her brave decision to admit an African American student in 1938. The student's identity is still a mystery. However, reports from that time said she was the daughter of college-educated parents. She was also known to be a very smart student with excellent grades.

Breaking Barriers: Admitting All Students

When Dammann announced that Manhattanville would admit an African American student, she received many letters. Some former students supported her for standing against Jim Crow laws. These laws enforced racial segregation and discrimination. She also received many supportive telegrams. However, not everyone agreed with her decision. Many other former students wrote letters protesting her choice. One group sent a very angry letter. It said, "We feel disgraced, our pride is in the dust. We are forced to swallow a bitter pill and we don't like it."

Fighting for Equal Rights

To defend her decision, Dammann gave a powerful speech. It was about fighting for racial justice. She gave this speech on Class Day, May 21, 1938. It was called "Principles versus Prejudices." This speech was published widely. It encouraged other schools to admit African American students too. Students at Manhattanville College voted on the issue. A large majority, 79.6%, voted in favor of admitting an African American student.

Standing Up to Prejudice

In 1938, Dammann famously said: "She is not coming to college to make social contacts. Her ambitions are far wider and deeper than that. She is coming for an education that will equip her for the uplifting of her own racial group. She needs an education for leadership of her race. Manhattanville is Catholic college equipped to give it to her. Can we in conscience refuse to admit her, when all the first-class eastern colleges for women admit Negro students?" Dammann believed that admitting this student made Manhattanville an even more respected school. Soon after her speech, Pope Pius XI asked Catholic colleges and universities to speak out against racial unfairness.

A Legacy of Justice

Dammann was a member of the NAACP. This is a well-known organization that works for civil rights. She also belonged to many other community groups. Her successor, Eleanor O'Byrne, was also an RSCJ. She continued to fight for racial justice at Manhattanville. O'Byrne was even photographed with students from the National Federation of Catholic Students. They were on their way to the historic March on Washington in 1963.

Her Life and Legacy

Grace Dammann was often called Mother Dammann. She was born in Baltimore. She had one brother and one sister. She passed away from a heart attack in 1945. Her obituary, a notice of her death, appeared in The New York Times. It praised her important work for racial justice. A special mass was held in her honor in 1946.