Mary Jane Patterson:

Mary Patterson becomes the first black woman in the U.S. to earn an M.A degree- when this is awarded by Oberlin College. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1840, Mary Jane Patterson was the oldest of Henry and Emeline Patterson's seven children. In 1856, she and her family moved to Oberlin, Ohio, where they joined a growing community of free Black families who worked to send their children to the college. Henry Patterson worked as a master mason, and for many years the family boarded large numbers of Black students in their home. Eventually, four Patterson children graduated from Oberlin College. all became teachers. source