Susan Miller Dorsey

Susan Miller Dorsey (February 16, 1857[1] – February 5, 1946[1]) served as the superintendent of the Los Angeles City Schools from 1920 to 1929.[2]

Susan Miller Dorsey.

Biography

Susan Almira Miller was born in Penn Yan, New York, the daughter of James and Hannah (Benedict) Miller.[2] A graduate of Vassar College, Miller moved to Los Angeles in the early 1880s with her husband, the Rev. Patrick William Dorsey, who had accepted a position as minister of the First Baptist Church.

In 1894, while teaching at Los Angeles High School, her husband left her with their young son. By 1902, she was working as a school administrator. In 1920, Dorsey became the first female superintendent of Los Angeles City Schools. She would serve in the capacity until her retirement in 1929. [2] In 1937 she spoke to the prohibitionist Women's Law Observance Association against literature about "the seamy things of life".[3]

In 1937, Susan Miller Dorsey High School located in the Crenshaw district section of Los Angeles was dedicated in her honor. She died in 1946.

Dorsey Hall, a dormitory at Scripps College in Claremont, California is named for her.

Notes and references

1. "California Death Index (1940 – 1997)". United States: California Bureau of Vital Statistics at Rootsweb. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
2. "Susan Miller Dorsey". United States: Soroptimist International of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
3. Cage, Crete (1937-02-04). "Dr. Dorsey Denounces Realism in Literature". The Los Angeles Times. p. 26. Retrieved 2020-04-26 – via Newspapers.com.

• Soroptimist International of Los Angeles