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Biography · Civil Rights

Vivian Smith (suffragist)

1891–1961

United States

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Biography

Vivian Beatrice Watts (née Smith; October 23, 1891 – October 28, 1961) was an American teacher, civil rights activist, and women's suffragist. She was the first African American student to graduate with a bachelor's degree in English from Iowa State Teachers College, which is now known as the University of Northern Iowa. Smith was included in a 2021 traveling exhibit honoring Iowa African American women suffragists.

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Black heritage reference ↗

Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-20

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