The Association of Deans of Women and Advisers to Girls in Negro Schools (NAWDACS) was an advocacy group for black women within colleges and universities in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Established through the efforts of

Lucy Diggs Slowe Lucy Diggs Slowe (July 4, 1885 – October 21, 1937) was an American educator and athlete, and the first Black woman to serve as Dean of Women at any American university. She was a founder of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the first sorority fou ...

in 1929, it lasted for twenty-five years until 1954, when it merged with the National Association of Personnel Deans and Advisers of Men in Negro Institutions.

History

In March 1929, Lucy Diggs Stowe, founder of the National Association of College Women (NACW), convened at

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

a NACW conference of deans and advisers to girls in Negro schools, which led to the founding of the Association. Five problems were identified as needing to be addressed: black women were under-represented on trustee boards and college administrations; properly qualified and salaried deans and advisers to girls were needed; female college students needed adequately equipped housing; female students needed properly planned extracurricular activity; and girls attending high school on college campuses needed separate housing and treatment. Annual meetings were held at different black college campuses over the subsequent life of the association. Though Slowe served as president from 1929 to 1937, subsequent presidents held office for a shorter term: Georgia Myrtle Teale of

Wilberforce University Wilberforce University is a private historically black university in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans. It participates ...

(1937-38); Hilda A. Davis of

Talladega College Talladega College is a private historically black college in Talladega, Alabama. It is Alabama's oldest private historically black college and offers 17 degree programs. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. His ...

(1938-39); Ina A. Bolton (1940-42); Flemmie P. Kittrell (1942-44); Mayme U. Foster (1944-46); T. Ruth Brett (1946-48); Emma C. W. Gray (1948-50); Virginia S. Nyabongo (1950-52); and Louise Latham (1952-54). From 1946 onwards the association held joint conferences with the National Association of Personnel Deans and Advisers of Men in Negro Institutions. The groups voted to merge in 1954, subsequently forming the National Association of Personnel Workers (NAPW).

References

Organizations established in 1929 Organizations disestablished in 1954 African-American women's organizations College and university associations and consortia in the United States Women's organizations based in the United States African Americans and education Women and education {{US-org-stub