DVP Board Member Judy Rogers Honorary Doctorate from Dickinson College

We wanted to take moment and highlight DVP’s own board member Judy Rogers as she was honored by Dickinson College. Below we have shared the amazing story of Judy, provide to us from Dickinson College.

Judith Rogers and Maureen Newton began their studies at Dickinson College in 1961, during an era of tremendous racial, social and political strife. While not the first African American women granted admission to and ultimately graduating from Dickinson, they were the first to integrate the women’s residence halls. As such, and because of their pioneering volunteer work, they helped create the diverse campus we know today.

While Rogers and Newton (now Newton Hayes) enjoyed their academic experiences, life on campus and in the borough of Carlisle was difficult, given the looming specters of racism and segregation. Some parents of white students expressed concerns about their daughters rooming with Rogers or Newton Hayes and did not want them using the same restroom facilities as their children. The pair recalled being assailed with demeaning names in Carlisle and denied service at a local diner. The Dickinson School of Law represented Rogers in a suit against the diner and the pair went on to desegregate the community’s restaurants.

By persevering, these young civil-rights champions set Dickinson—and the local community—on a trajectory toward greater equity, justice and inclusion.

Rogers, the daughter of a World War II veteran, came to Dickinson from her home in New Jersey, spurred by family and mentors to “open doors for other Black girls.” She formed a local chapter of the civil rights group CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), where she trained people to participate in civil rights protests. She also organized Project Africa, raising funds for students to travel to Sierra Leone through Operation Crossroads Africa, an intercultural and service opportunity. As a result, in summer 1963, she joined other American, Canadian and African college students to help build a boys’ school dormitory in Sierra Leone (three more Dickinson students participated the following year). She was also appointed by the faculty to serve as an upper-class counselor in a first-year women’s dormitory—the first Black student to serve in this role.

“Dickinson was a life-changing experience that prepared me for a life of service and led me to become a citizen of the world,” Rogers said.

As an undergrad, Newton Hayes, a Philadelphia native, managed Dickinson’s yearbook, The Microcosm, and broke barriers as the first woman in the college’s chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the first Black woman in Phi Delta Epsilon, and the first Black woman in Wheel and Chain. Together with Rogers, Newton Hayes led a Brownie troop for local Black girls, preparing them for an integrated Girl Scouts experience.

Their postgraduation lives were also impactful.

After graduating with honors in sociology and a minor in English, Rogers spent two months in Singapore, representing the U.S. Youth Council; earned a Master of Social Work from New York University; and enjoyed a long and successful career helping vulnerable people, especially children and adolescents, as a licensed clinical social worker. After 25 years at Harlem Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry, she continued to teach psychiatry residents in her retirement. She was named Social Worker of the Year in New York City in 2001, served as mental health consultant for Headstart programs and made many presentations at conferences in America and South Africa. Rogers co-founded Nah We Yone and Telem, providing services to African displaced persons, refugees and asylum-seekers in New York City, where she resides close to her son and three grandchildren. She serves on the board of directors for Dances for a Variable Population, a dance organization for seniors, and she participates in the book ministry and grief ministry at Abyssinian Baptist Church.

Newton Hayes graduated with a biology major and a minor in chemistry. After studying at Women’s Medical College in Philadelphia, she launched her career as an analytical chemist and the first Black woman employed by Atlantic Richfield. Pausing her career to raise two children, she returned to the workplace as the first Black woman pharmaceutical salesperson at Hoffman-LaRoche, Philadelphia. Newton Hayes also worked in medical-supply sales, as a recruiter for scientific and technical positions and in management at an emergency-room billing company. She was the founder and president of Athena Personal Concierge Services, LLC, and she founded an organizing business, Straighten Up.

Active in her church, Newton Hayes also volunteers for Vanguard Theater, a food pantry and a book drive. She resides in the New York City area, close to her grandchildren, and volunteers for their school. Currently, she’s secretary of the local high-school PTA.

“Life after Dickinson has been adventurous and rich,” Newton Hayes said. “I truly believe my education gave me a very broad view of the world, and I am grateful.”