Oberlin's Women: A Legacy of Leadership & Activism

Charlene Drew Jarvis

Charlene Drew Jarvis (1941-present, OC 1962) is a distinguished political leader and educator. She graduated from Oberlin College in 1962 with a B.A. in psychology. She later enrolled at Howard College and completed a M.A. in 1964. After graduating she worked as a pre-doctoral fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health in 1965. She completed her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in 1971 and continued working at the National Institute of Mental Health as a research scientist. She left that position in 1978. Jarvis was elected to Washington, D.C.’s City Council in 1979 and held the position until 2000. While in office, she worked to rebuild the economy in Washington, D.C. She chaired the Committee on Economic Development and the Committee on Finance and Revenue. In 1996, Jarvis was named president of Southeastern University. She was the first woman to hold that position. Under her tenure, the University merged with the University of the District of Columbia Graduate School in Washington, D.C. in 2009. That same year, she retired from her position as president. Today, Jarvis continues to be politically active. She was awarded the 2002 Brotherhood-Sisterhood Award from the National Conference of Community and Justice and the Ibero Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award. Jarvis has served as the chairperson of the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Federal City Council. She was a board member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and was part of the American Association of University Women. She is a trustee of the University of the District of Columbia and Oberlin College.


Sources:
“Charlene Drew Jarvis.” The History Makers. 2020. https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/charlene-drew-jarvis-39

GW Libraries. “Guide to the Charlene Drew Jarvis Papers.” Accessed January 16, 2020.
https://library.gwu.edu/dcaap-fa/dcaap0027.xml

“The Honorable Charlene Drew Jarvis.” University of the District of Columbia. 2020.
https://www.udc.edu/board-of-trustees/dr-charlene-drew-jarvis/

Levey, Jane. “Drew and Jarvis Families to Receive History Award.” DC History Center. Accessed January 16, 2020. http://www.dchistory.org/drew-and-jarvis-families-to-receive-history-award/

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