Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson gave her first public performance at the age of 6, wowing the congregation at her Baptist church. The community believed in Anderson’s gift so completely that it sponsored her voice lessons. None of them could have guessed that the young Anderson would grow up to be the first black artist invited to entertain at the White House and to sing at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

Before retiring in 1965, she made concert tours throughout the world and appeared in all the leading concert halls. Anderson is represented in a mural at the Department of the Interior, commemorating the Easter Sunday 1939 concert in which she sang for 75,000 people at the Lincoln Memorial after being barred, because of her race, from performing in Washington’s Constitution Hall. Five years later, Anderson was invited to sing in Constitution Hall at a benefit for Chinese relief. She also performed at the inaugurations of Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy.

In 1957, Anderson toured the Far East as a goodwill ambassador and, a year later, she was appointed United States Delegate to the United Nations by President Eisenhower.

She received decorations from Sweden, the Philippines, Haiti, Liberia, France, Finland, and numerous cities and states in America, including the Bok Award, the Springarn Medal and numerous honorary degrees. She was named to the National Council of Arts in 1966 and received a lifetime-achievement Grammy award in 1991.

She died in 1993 at the age of 96.

BLACKWELL RECIPIENTS

• February 3, 2021
  Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

• January 22, 2015
  Dr. Janet L. Yellen

• November 10, 2013
  The Most Reverend Doctor Katharine Jefferts Schori

• October 27, 2011
  Eunice Kennedy Shriver

• April 23, 2009
  Rabbi Sally J. Priesand

• April 24, 2008
  Dr. Wangari Maathai Sc.D.'94, P '94, P '96

• April 27, 2007
  Dr. Priscilla A. Schaffer '64, Sc.D. '94

• September 7, 2004
  Bishop Barbara Clementine Harris

• September 9, 2003
  Loretta C. Ford

• September 4, 2001
  Madeleine K. Albright

• May 15, 1998
  Billie Jean King

• February 10, 1996
  Wilma Mankiller

• September 23, 1993
  Barbara Jordan

• September 27, 1991
  Margaret Chase Smith

• February 22, 1991
  Dr. Antonia C. Novello

• February 19, 1988
  Barbara Aronstein Black

• October 9, 1985
  Cicely Saunders

• March 8, 1985
  Sandra Day O’Connor

• February 11, 1984
  Hannah Holborn Gray

• February 26, 1982
  Agnes George de Mille

• February 15, 1980
  Mary Douglas Leakey

• September 30, 1977
  Mary S. Calderone

• October 3, 1975
  Antonia Brico

• Janurary 23, 1974
  Frances Keller Harding

• May 28, 1973
  Judith Graham Pool

• June 8, 1972
  Marian Anderson

• April 10, 1972
  Mary Lasker

• June 13, 1971
  Mina Rees

• June 14, 1970
  Helen Brooke Taussig

• June 15, 1969
  Georgiana Sibley

• June 16, 1968
  Constance Baker Motley

• September 8, 1967
  Catharine Macfarlane

• July 10, 1966
  Fe del Mundo

• June 13, 1965
  Annette LeMeitour-Kaplun

• June 14, 1964
  Margaret Mead

• June 9, 1963
  Marty Mann

• June 10, 1962
  Frances Perkins

• June 18,1961
  Leona Baumgartner

• June 12, 1960
  Miki Sawada

• June 14, 1959
  Elisabeth Luce Moore

• September 27, 1958
  Gwendolyn Grant Mellon