Stokes, Olivia Phelps (1847–1927)

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Stokes, Olivia Phelps (1847–1927)

American philanthropist. Name variations: Olivia Egleston Phelps. Born Olivia Egleston Phelps Stokes, Jan 11, 1847, in New York, NY; died Dec 14, 1927, in Washington, DC; dau. of James Boulter Stokes and Caroline (Phelps) Stokes (helped found the Colored Orphan Asylum of New York); sister of Caroline Phelps Stokes; never married; no children.

With sister, contributed substantial sums to various causes, particularly in the improvement of opportunities for African-Americans, through the establishment of the Phelps-Stokes fund; wrote several books, including Pine and Cedar: Bible Verses (1885), Forward in the Better Life (1915), Saturday Nights in Lent (1922) and Letters and Memories of Susan and Anna Bartlett Warner (1925).

See also Women in World History.

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