Canonsburg, Pennsylvania (July 3, 1895 -May 20, 1988) age 93 yrs

Mabel J. Byrd was a civil rights activist and the first African American to enroll at the University of Oregon.  In 1919, Byrd transferred to the University of Washington, where she obtained a BA in liberal arts. A key activist in the early Civil Rights Movement, she collaborated with national leaders like W.E.B. DuBois. Byrd became involved with the YWCA, NAACP, and the League of Nations. She also participated in other national and international organizations promoting greater equality for non-whites. Byrd, a brilliant young honor graduate, chaired the women’s committee against war at International Women’s Conference in Paris, 1934.