Rosa Kinckle Jones facts for kids
Rosa Kinckle Jones (born Rosa Daniel Kinckle; 1858–1932) was an amazing African American music teacher from Virginia. She made history as one of the first 10 women to graduate from the Normal School at Howard University. For 40 years, she led the music department at Hartshorn Memorial College. She was also one of only two African American teachers there for a long time.
Early Life and School
Rosa Daniel Kinckle was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1858. Her parents were free African Americans. Rosa went to public school in Lynchburg until 1877. After that, she moved to Howard University and graduated with honors in 1880.
A Career in Music and Teaching
Rosa Kinckle Jones spent her first years teaching. She taught successfully in Virginia and in her hometown of Lynchburg for two years. She and her sister, Alice Walker Kinckle, were among the first African American teachers in Lynchburg's public schools.
Rosa was very smart and well-educated. She had a beautiful singing voice and was an excellent vocal music teacher. But she was especially known for her piano skills. Rosa had a natural talent for music. She also had great teachers from a young age. She continued her music studies in Washington, D.C.. Later, she took a course in harmony at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Many people thought she was the best and most successful music teacher in the Richmond area. She taught at Hartshorn Memorial College for almost 40 years. She also gave private lessons. Rosa Kinckle Jones retired from teaching in 1928.
Helping Her Community
Beyond her work at Hartshorn, Rosa Kinckle Jones was a leader in her community. She was the president of the Woman's Union Beneficial Department. This group was part of Maggie L. Walker's organization. It worked to help women and their families with money and opportunities.
Family Life
In 1882, Rosa married Rev. Dr. Joseph Endom Jones. He was a professor at the Richmond Theological Seminary. They had a double wedding with her sister, Alice Walker Kinckle, and Joseph's best friend, David Nathaniel Vassar.
Rosa and Joseph had two sons, Henry Endom Jones and Eugene Kinckle Jones. After Rosa retired, her son Eugene provided a home for her in Queens, New York. She stayed active, even traveling to Europe with her son and daughter-in-law in 1928. Rosa Kinckle Jones passed away in 1932.
