Muriel S. Snowden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Muriel S. Snowden
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | July 14, 1916 |
| Died | September 30, 1988 Boston, MA
|
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Radcliffe College |
| Spouse(s) | Otto P. Snowden |
Muriel Sutherland Snowden (born July 14, 1916, died September 30, 1988) was an important leader in Boston, Massachusetts. She helped start and lead an organization called Freedom House. This center worked to make life better for people in the Roxbury neighborhood. Muriel and her husband, Otto P. Snowden, are known as key figures in Boston's history of helping communities.
Contents
Muriel Snowden's Early Life
Muriel Sophronia Sutherland was born and grew up in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. She was a very bright student. In 1934, she graduated at the top of her high school class. She then went to Radcliffe College and finished her studies in 1938.
After college, Muriel volunteered at a community center in Newark. She also worked to help families for the Essex County Welfare Board. From 1943 to 1945, she studied at the New York School of Social Work. She paid for her education with a special scholarship from the National Urban League. In 1944, she married Otto P. Snowden. They moved to Boston, and their daughter, Gail, was born in 1945.
Starting Freedom House
In 1949, Muriel and Otto Snowden started Freedom House. This group helped African Americans in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood. It taught people how to help themselves and worked for equal rights. For three years, Freedom House operated out of the Snowdens' own home.
Later, the Snowdens bought a building on Crawford Street in Roxbury. This building used to be the Hebrew Teachers College. It became the permanent home for Freedom House. The organization became very well-known and active in Upper Roxbury. Some people even called it the "Black Pentagon." This was because it was the main meeting place for African-American activists in Boston.
Muriel Snowden once spoke about her family's strong commitment to Roxbury. Even when the neighborhood faced many problems like decay and crime, she said, "We decided long ago we weren't going anywhere, and we were going to stay here ... This is a commitment." Muriel and Otto Snowden stopped working actively at Freedom House in 1984. Their daughter, Gail, later became the head of the Foundation's board.
Other Important Work
Before focusing full-time on Freedom House, Muriel Snowden worked as the executive director of the Cambridge Civic Unity Committee from 1948 to 1950. She also taught about community organization at the Simmons College School of Social Work. She was an adjunct instructor there from 1958 to 1970.
Muriel Snowden was a member of many important boards. These included the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Associated Harvard Alumni, and the Radcliffe College Alumnae Association. She also served on boards for Babson College, Shawmut Bank, and the Racial Imbalance Committee of the Massachusetts Department of Education.
Awards and Recognition
Muriel Snowden received many awards for her important work:
- MacArthur Fellowship (1987)
- Harvard Medal (1986)
- Honorary doctorate from the University of Massachusetts (1968)
- Alumnae Achievement Award from Radcliffe College (1964)
Legacy and Remembrance
Muriel Snowden passed away from cancer on September 30, 1988, at the age of 72.
The Snowden International School in Boston is named after her. This school, near Copley Square, honors her by focusing on an international-themed curriculum. Her personal papers and records are kept at Northeastern University. They are part of the Freedom House Collection in the Library Archives and Special Collections Department.
