Born: 31 May 1924, United States
Died: 23 March 1985
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Patricia Roberts
The following is republished from the U.S. State Department. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
First African American woman to serve as an Ambassador
Patricia Roberts showed a drive for excellence from a young age. Raised by her mother in Illinois, she received five scholarship offers to college and chose Howard University in Washington, DC. In 1945, she graduated summa cum laude. In 1960, Roberts graduated at the top of her class from George Washington University Law School. President John F. Kennedy selected her to co-chair the National Women’s Committee for Human Rights.
In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson chose Patricia Harris to become the U.S.Ambassador to Luxembourg. She was the first African American woman named as an American envoy. She said, “I feel deeply proud and grateful this President chose me to knock down this barrier, but also a little sad about being the ‘first Negro woman’ because it implies we were not considered before.” She also served as an alternate delegate to the 21st and 22nd General Assemblies of the United Nations.
After her diplomatic career, she served as the first African American dean of a U.S. law school, at Howard University. In the 1970s, she worked as a corporate attorney until President Jimmy Carter selected her as Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. With her confirmation, she became the first African American woman to serve as a cabinet secretary. In 1980, President Carter named her the first secretary of the newly reorganized Department of Health and Human Services.
The following is republished from the Library of Congress. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
1924, May 31 Born, Mattoon, Ill.
1945 B.A., Howard University, Washington, D.C.
1946-1949 Program director, Young Women’s Christian Association
1949-1953 Assistant director, American Council on Human Rights
1953-1959 Executive director, Delta Sigma Theta
1955 Married William Beasley Harris
1959-1960 Research associate, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
1960 J.D., George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
1960-1961 Trial attorney, Criminal Division, Justice Department
1961-1963 Associate dean of students and lecturer in law, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
1963 Cochair, National Women’s Committee for Civil Rights
1963-1965 Law professor, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
1964-1966 Member, United States-Puerto Rico Commission on the Status of Puerto Rico
1965-1967 United States ambassador, Luxembourg
1967-1969 Law professor, Howard University, Washington, D.C.; dean of School of Law in 1969
1967-1977 Member, board of directors, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund
1968-1969 Member, National Committee on the Causes and Prevention of Violence
1970-1977 Partner, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Kampelman, Washington, D.C.
1977-1979 Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development
1979-1981 Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services (formerly Department of Health, Education, and Welfare until May 1980)
1982 Candidate, mayor of Washington, D.C.
1985, Mar. 23 Died, Washington, D.C.