Dr. Anna Johnson Julian was the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. Her dissertation was on the trends of relief and casework treatment in Washington, D.C. While at Penn, she was the fourth national president of Delta Sigma Theta, Penn’s first black sorority. She also became the first African-American woman elected to Phi Beta Kappa. For 10 years, Julian was the research assistant at the Department of Research of the Public Schools of Washington, D.C., and was an instructor at Miner College where she taught educational sociology. Throughout her life, she was active in her community, serving as treasurer and vice president of Links, Inc., a women’s organization focused on education, culture, and civics.
Dr. Anna Johnson Julian, PhD
Sociologist