In 1862, Mary Jane Patterson made history by becoming the first known African American woman to receive a bachelor’s degree. Her pioneering achievement paved the way for generations of Black women pursuing higher education.
Overcoming Barriers
Born into slavery in 1840 in North Carolina, Ms. Patterson moved with her family as a young girl to the abolitionist town of Oberlin, Ohio. At the time, Oberlin College was one of the only higher education institutions that admitted Black students.
Patterson was determined to earn her degree, insisting on taking the challenging “gentleman’s course” of classics, mathematics and sciences instead of the two-year women’s course.
In 1862, she graduated with top honors, delivering the commencement address about Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi.
An Inspiring Educator
After becoming the first Black woman bachelor’s degree recipient, Patterson embarked on a teaching career. She taught at schools in Ohio and Philadelphia before being named principal of the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth in Washington, D.C. in 1871.
As principal, she grew school enrollment dramatically while also upholding high intellectual standards. A fellow Oberlin graduate described her as having a “strong, forceful personality” and being a “superior scholar.”
Lasting Legacy
Patterson passed away at just 54 years old in 1894. Oberlin College now has a scholarship in her name, awarded to outstanding African American women students carrying on her legacy of academic excellence against all odds.
Mary Jane Patterson truly paved the way for Black women in education. Though little-known today, her bachelor’s degree milestone remains a monumental feat.
