{{Short description|American sororiety founder}} {{Infobox person | name = Carrie Snowden | image = Carrie Snowden.jpg | image_upright = | image_size = 175px | caption = | occupation = Switchboard operator | known_for = Founder of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority; | birth_name = Carrie Estelle Snowden | birth_date = 1884 | birth_place = Pennsylvania, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1948|1888}} | death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S. | spouse = | children = | parents = }}
'''Carrie Estelle Snowden''' ({{Circa|1884}} – 1948)<ref name=":5">District of Columbia, U.S., Compiled Marriage Index, 1830-1921. Vol 103 P326 31826. via Ancestry.com</ref> was one of the founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the first sorority founded by African-American women.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Notable Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, INC. {{!}} WHUR 96.3 FM |url=https://whur.com/whur/famous-akas/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |website=whur.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Brooks |first1=Jeffrey S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_QIoDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Carrie+Snowden%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA93 |title=Confronting Racism in Higher Education: Problems and Possibilities for Fighting Ignorance, Bigotry and Isolation |last2=Witherspoon-Arnold |first2=Noelle |date=2013-03-01 |publisher=IAP |isbn=978-1-62396-158-9 |page=93 |language=en |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=1906-06-12 |title=In Colored Schools |pages=11 |work=Evening Star |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-in-colored-schools/128858440/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
==Early life== Snowden was born in Pennsylvania c. 1884.<ref>U.S. Census Records 1920.</ref><ref name=":5" /> She grew up in Washington, D.C., where she attended public schools.<ref name="founders">{{cite web |date=April 2007 |title=Alpha Kappa Alpha Centennial: Founders |url=http://aka1908.com/centennial/pdf/founders_pdf.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927194110/http://aka1908.com/centennial/pdf/founders_pdf.pdf |archive-date=2007-09-27 |accessdate=2007-10-17 |publisher=Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.}}</ref> In June 1902, she graduated eighth grade at the Lincoln School and was promoted to high school.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1902-06-20 |title=Eleventh Division. Pupils Promoted From Eighth Grade to High School |pages=15 |work=Evening Star |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-eleventh-division-pupils-p/128857861/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> In June 1906, she graduated from M Street High School where she served as her class vice president.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1906-06-12 |title=Armstron Manual Training School |pages=5 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-washington-post-armstron-manual-trai/128857541/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=":4" />
She enrolled in Howard University in the School of Arts and Science in 1906.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Ross |first=Lawrence C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JtuJDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22Carrie+Snowden%22+-wikipedia&pg=PT300 |title=The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities |date=2019-08-27 |publisher=Kensington Books |isbn=978-1-4967-2888-3 |pages=289–290 |language=en |via=}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Parks |first=Gregory S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XmY1EAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Carrie+Snowden%22+-wikipedia&pg=PT100 |title=Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the 21st Century: Our Fight Has Just Begun |date=2008-06-13 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0-8131-3872-5 |language=en |via=Google Books}}</ref> There were only a few women enrolled in Howard at the time.<ref name=":0" /> She graduated from Howard with a B.A. in May 1910, having studied English, French, German, and history.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=1910-05-25 |title=Degrees Are Conferred |pages=11 |work=Evening Star |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-degrees-are-conferred/128859321/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1910-05-26 |title=110 Receive Degrees: Howard University Graduates Addressed by Dr. Vernon |pages=3 |newspaper=The Washington Post |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-washington-post-110-receive-degrees/128859470/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
== Alpha Kappa Alpha == While at Howard, she and fifteen other women formed Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" /> Snowden was admitted to the sorority without initiation in February 1908.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Tamara L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eGY1EAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Carrie+Snowden%22+-wikipedia&pg=PT264 |title=African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision |last2=Parks |first2=Gregory S. |last3=Phillips |first3=Clarenda M. |date=2012-02-29 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0-8131-4073-5 |language=en |via=Google}}</ref> She served as the epistoleus (corresponding secretary) of what became the ''Alpha chapter'' of the sorority in the fall of 1909.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
In 1923, Snowden was a charter member of ''Xi Omega alumnae chapter'' of Alpha Kappa Alpha in Washington, D.C.<ref name=":1" /> She was active in its membership and amenities committees.<ref name=":1" />
== Career == In 1917, Snowden was appointed a substitute librarian for high schools and normal schools in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1917-10-04 |title=Community Organizations |pages=11 |work=Evening Star |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-carrie-e-snowden-appointme/18357338/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Later in life, Snowden worked in administration at Howard University as a switchboard operator until she retired.<ref name=":1" />
== Personal life == Snowden and Silas Hinton married on January 4, 1906, in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1906-01-05 |title=Marriage Lincenses |pages=5 |work=Evening Star |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-marriage-lincenses/128859059/ |access-date=2023-07-25 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name=":5" />
Snowden's job at the university allowed her to take classes there.<ref name="founders" /> She pursued lifelong learning, taking courses in a wide range of subjects such as commerce, economics, mathematics, and social work.<ref name=":1" /> In 1943, she took a course in typing at Howard.<ref name=":1" />
Snowden died in 1948 in Washington, D.C.<ref name=":1" /> She was buried in Washington, D.C.<ref name=":1" /> Her sorority friends remembered her as "small, slim, and gracious".<ref name=":2" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{Alpha Kappa Alpha Founders}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Snowden, Carrie}} Category:1948 deaths Category:Alpha Kappa Alpha founders Category:Educators from Washington, D.C. Category:20th-century African-American women Category:1884 births