Business - Corporate
Chronology
1861 Elizabeth Keckley (1818 - 1907), a fashion designer, was a slave who purchased her freedom and became the first to serve as a personal confidante, companion, and dress designer for Mary Todd Lincoln [wife of President Abraham Lincoln from 1861 - 1865.
1885 Sarah Goode (1850 - 1905), an entrepreneur and inventor, was the first to be granted a patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office for her invention of a folding bed in 1885.
1903 Maggie Lena Walker (1864 - 1934), a teacher and businesswoman, was the first to become a bank president [St Luke Penney Savings BANK, Richmond VA] in 1903.
1917 Madam C.J. Walker (1867 - 1919), a civil rights activist, philanthropist and entrepreneur, was regarded as the first to become a self - made millionaire; however, research now reflects her mentor in the hair care industry, Annie Turnbo Malone, as the first millionaire.
1920 Annie Turnbo Malone (1869 - 1957), an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and scientist, was the first US. Millionaire based on her company owning fourteen million dollars in assets in 1920. She was a mentor to Madame C.J. Walker and introduced her to the black hair care industry.
1969 Oprah Winfrey (b. 1954), An American media proprietor and philanthropist, was the first to form and create her own television and film production company (Harpo production in 1986) and additionally was the first to become a billionaire.
1969 Lillian Lincoln Lambert (b. 1940), was the first to receive a MBA degree from Harvard Business School in 1969.
2002 Linda Johnson Rice (b. 1958), a business executive, was the first to be named Chief Executive Officer in 2002, Johnson Publishing Company, listed among the top five of the Black Enterprise 100s the nation’s largest black-owned companies.
2009 Ursula M. Burns (b. 1958), is the first African American female CEO of a Fortune 500 Company, Xerox in 2009.
2012 Rosalind Brewer (b. 1962), was the first woman and the first African American to hold a CEO position Sam’s Club, one of Walmart, Inc.’s business units. She was appointed in 2012.
2014 Davita Vance Cook (b. Unknown), is the first appointed to lead the Government Printing Office. She was confirmed in 2014.
Elizabeth Keckley
Madam C.J. Walker
Linda Johnson Rice
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