# Carrie Snowden

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{{Short description|American sororiety founder}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Carrie Snowden
| image              = Carrie Snowden.jpg
| image_upright      = 
| image_size         = 175px
| caption            = 
| occupation         = [Switchboard operator](/source/Switchboard_operator)
| known_for          = Founder of [Alpha Kappa Alpha](/source/Alpha_Kappa_Alpha) sorority;
| birth_name         = Carrie Estelle Snowden
| birth_date         = 1884
| birth_place        = [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania), U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|1948|1888}}
| death_place        = [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_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](/source/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.](/source/Washington%2C_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](/source/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](/source/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.](/source/Bachelors_of_Arts) in May 1910, having studied English, French, German, and [history](/source/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](/source/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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Carrie Snowden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Snowden) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Snowden?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.