Jane Eleanor Datcher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jane Eleanor Datcher
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Nellie Datcher, 1891
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| Born | 1868 Washington, D.C.
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| Died | February 24, 1934 Washington, D.C.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Cornell University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany |
| Institutions | Howard Medical School Dunbar High School |
| Thesis | A biological sketch of Hepatica triloba and Hepatica acutiloba (1890) |
Jane Eleanor "Nellie" Datcher was a smart and important American scientist. She was a botanist, which means she studied plants. Nellie made history as the first African-American woman to earn a special advanced degree from Cornell University in 1890. Her work helped open doors for many others.
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Discovering Jane Datcher's Life
Jane Eleanor Datcher was born in 1868 in Washington, D.C. Her parents were Samuel and Mary Victoria Cook Datcher. Her family was very involved in their community. Her grandfather, Rev. John Francis Cook, Sr., started the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.
Jane's Early Education
Nellie went to schools in Washington, D.C. These schools were run by members of the Black community. In 1877, she received an award for her excellent schoolwork. This award came from the Public Schools of the District of Columbia.
Studying at Cornell University
In 1886, when she was 19, Jane started college at Cornell University. Her cousin, Charles Chauveau Cook, also went with her. Cornell was one of the few schools that would accept both of them. In 1890, Jane earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell.
Her research focused on two types of plants: Hepatica triloba and Hepatica acutiloba. She was one of the first three African-Americans to graduate from Cornell. Her cousin Charles and George Washington Fields were the others. Nellie was so good at her studies that she sat in the very front row of her graduation photo. This was a great honor!
Many of Datcher’s relatives also attended Cornell over the years. Her cousin, Charles C. Cook, later became a professor at Howard University. He even led the English Department there. After Cornell, Datcher continued her education. She attended Howard Medical School from 1893 to 1894.
Working for Change and Teaching
After graduating from Cornell, Datcher helped create a group called the Collegiate Alumnae Club. This club later became part of the Colored Women's League. Mary Church Terrell led this organization. It was a place for educated Black women to come together.
The group first met in Washington D.C. in the summer of 1892. They talked about how to make life better for Black children, women, and poor people in cities. Other important women like Anna Julia Cooper and Ida Bell Wells-Barnett were also there. The founders did not like segregation. They wanted to include graduates from Howard and other "negro colleges." These graduates were often not allowed to join mostly White college alumni groups.
Jane Datcher became a chemistry teacher at Dunbar High School. She taught there until shortly before she passed away in 1934. Dunbar High School was known as the best high school for Black students in the area. Parents would send their children from far away just so they could attend. This school allowed Datcher to teach Black students at a high academic level. She also earned the same pay as white school teachers in Washington.
Jane Datcher was first buried in the old Columbian Harmony Cemetery in Washington, DC. It is believed that her remains, along with about 37,000 others, were moved in 1960. They were re-buried at the National Harmony Memorial Park in Prince George's County, Maryland.
