Enolia Pettigen McMillan (October 20, 1904 – October 24, 2006) was an American

educator A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

civil rights activist Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

, and

community leader Community leader is a designation, often by secondary sources (particularly in the media), for a person widely perceived to represent a community. A simple way to understand community leadership is to see it as leadership in, for and by the communi ...

. She was the first female national president of the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

Early life

Born Enolia Virginia Pettigen in

Willow Grove, Pennsylvania Willow Grove is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. A community in Philadelphia's northern suburbs, the population was 13,730 at the 2020 census. It is located in Abington Township and Upper More ...

, she was the daughter of Elizabeth Fortune Pettigen and John Pettigen, the latter a former

slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

. When she was eight years old, the family moved to

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

in search of improved educational opportunities. Enolia Pettigen attended Frederick Douglass High School in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

and later

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, with the help of a scholarship from

Alpha Kappa Alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. () is an List of African American fraternities, historically African-American Fraternities and sororities, sorority. The sorority was founded in 1908 at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. Alpha Kappa Alpha ...

. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in education in 1926. McMillan earned a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in 1933 from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. During her masters education, she began to question the Maryland public education system and used the topic for her master's

thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

entitled ''Some Factors Affecting Secondary Education for Negroes in Maryland Counties (Excluding Baltimore)''. The thesis attacked Maryland's racist segregated school system in the 1930s. She found that the system provided unequal school terms, salary scales and curricula.

Career

McMillan became a teacher in 1927 in

Caroline County, Maryland Caroline County is a rural County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 33,293. Its county seat is Denton, Maryland, Denton. The county is part of the Eastern Shor ...

teaching at

Denton High School Denton High School is a public high school located in the city of Denton, Texas and classified as a 5A school by the UIL. It is a part of the Denton Independent School District located in central Denton County and was the original high school f ...

. In 1928, she became a principal in Charles County. She became president of the Maryland State Colored Teachers' Association and regional vice-president of the National Association of Colored Teachers. After the 1954 ''

Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the ...

'' ruling outlawing segregated public schools, she was one of the first black teachers at a white school. She retired from teaching in 1968. In 1969, she defeated Juanita Mitchell to become president of the Baltimore branch of the

. During her presidency, the National Office was threatened with bankruptcy in 1976 due to legal proceedings against it in connection with a 1966

boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent resistance, nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organisation, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for Morality, moral, society, social, politics, political, or Environmenta ...

of white merchants in

Port Gibson, Mississippi Port Gibson is a city and the county seat of Claiborne County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 1,567 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is bordered on the west by the Mississippi River. The first European settlers i ...

. She launched a fundraising drive to help defray expenses, and her efforts resulted in the Baltimore branch raising the largest local contribution of $150,000. In 1984, she became the first woman to be elected national president of the NAACP, and she held the position until 1990. The role at the time was largely ceremonial, but McMillan had considerable influence on the organization's policies and operations. Along with former NAACP Executive Director

Benjamin Hooks Benjamin Lawson Hooks (January 31, 1925 – April 15, 2010) was an American civil rights leader and government official. A Baptist minister and practicing attorney, he served as executive director of the National Association for the Advancement ...

, she is credited with organizing the organization's move from New York to Baltimore in 1986. McMilllan was an outspoken critic of the

Reagan Administration Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following his landslide victory over ...

, which she felt harmed the NAACP's advocacy efforts in housing, education, employment and business. During her tenure, she also helped black businesses to receive federal contracts, and, in 1985, led a protest in Washington against South Africa's apartheid system. In 1941, she was photographed among delegates at the first state convention of the Maryland NAACP. In 1975, she was named the first female chair of the board of regents at

Morgan State University Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a Public university, public historically black colleges and universities, historically black research university in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically bla ...

Personal life

On December 26, 1935, Enolia Pettigen married Betha D. McMillan. They had a son, Betha McMillan Jr., in 1940. She died October 24, 2006, in

Stevenson, Maryland Stevenson is an unincorporated community located in the Green Spring Valley in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. From 1830 until 1955, this community was served by the Green Spring Valley Branch of the old Northern Central Railway (lat ...

from

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...

just four days after celebrating her 102nd birthday. She is buried at King Memorial Park in Baltimore.

Awards and honors

* She was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 1990. * She was awarded an Honorary Degree in Public Service from The University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 1991. * In 2000, the street near the NAACP's Baltimore branch was renamed Enolia P. McMillan Way.

References

Sources

* Frances N. Beckles. "Enolia Pettigen McMillan" in ''20 Black Women: A Profile of Contemporary Black Maryland Women''. Baltimore, MD: Gateway Press, 1978. pp. 92–99 * Adam Bernstein.
Enolia McMillan; First Woman to Lead NAACP
. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', October 26, 2006 p. B7 * "Enolia Pettigen McMillan" in ''Notable Black American Women'', Gale Research, 1992. * Nicole Fuller and Kelly Brewington. "'Matriarch of NAACP' dies at 102". ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...

'', October 25, 2006 p. 1A, 9A * Carolyn B. Stegman. "Enolia Pettigen McMillan" in ''Women of Achievement in Maryland History''. Forestville, MD, 2002. p. 37-38. {{DEFAULTSORT:McMillan, Enolia NAACP activists African-American activists Columbia University alumni Howard University alumni People from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Educators from Philadelphia American women educators Activists from Baltimore 1904 births 2006 deaths Activists from Philadelphia African-American centenarians American women centenarians 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 20th-century American people 21st-century American women