The Omaha guide., 1944-11-18
MISS JANE \. FREEMAN, p,
First Negro Woman Enters WAVES
Sworn in 8 am. Monday

Sworn in 8 am. Monday
Three Negro women, including two
officer candidates and one enlisted
recruit, were sworn into the Women's
Reserve in Boston and New York
City, Monday morning, November ia
under a Navy Department plan, ap-
proved by the President, for the ac-
ceptance of Negro women into the
WAVES.
The first Negro woman in the 1st
Naval District to complete her appli-
cation and be be sworn into the Wo-
mems Reserve was Miss Jane A.. Free
man, %, OF 1874 Walnut Avenue,
Roxbury, Mass. She was sworn in
to the service as an enlisted WAVE
at s a. m. Monday BY Capt. L. D.
Causey, USN retired, Director of the
Office Of Naval Officer Procure
ment at Boston.
Two hours later, in New York city,
two other Negro women were sworn
into the service as apprentice seamen
and officer candidates by 1t. Rosa
mond d. Selle at 33 Pine street.
They were Miss Harriet Ida Pickens
IS, OF 26O West 10th Street, and
Miss Frances Eliza Wills, %, Of ais
West 18th Street, both of New York
City.
Miss Pickens and Miss Wills were
scheduled to report to Smith College
for training on November Is. Upon
successful completion of training,
Miss Pickens will be commissioned
Lieutenant OG) and Miss Wills will
be commissioned an ensign. Miss
Freeman, the first Negro enlisted
WAVE in the New England area
will be n Of the first group of Ne
gro recruits to enter boot" training
at Hunter College, New York City,
about January 1, 1915.
Miss Pickens graduated from the
Smith College in 1880 with an "A. B.
degree cum aude and did graduate
work at Columbia University from
1880 to 1933-no degree. From Sept
ember 1881 to June 1882, she was an
instructor at the Bennett College for
Women in Greensboro, North Caro-
lima. From 1884 to 1889, she was a
project supervisor under the recreat-
ional program for WPA in New
York City. From June 1899 to the
present, she was executive secretary
of the Harlem tuberculosis and
Health Committee in New York city
Miss Pickens was born in Talladega,
Alabama, on March II, 1909.
Miss Wills graduated from Hunter
College in 1888 with a BA. degree.
She received a MS. from the Univer-
sity of Pittsburgh, in 1913. This de-
gree was in biology, social admins
tration, speech and dramatics. From
1886 to 1910, she worked in the en-
ployment department of the YWCA.
on West 137th street, New York city
From February 1910 to September
1871, she was a secretary in the New
York Protestant Episcopal Mission
Society. Since November Is last
year, she has been a case worker for
the State Charities Aid Association
in New York City This work is
primarily devoted to investigation Of
families in connection with child a.
doption. Miss Wills was born in
Philadelphia, Pa, on October s, 1916
Miss Freeman is the daughter Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas I. Freeman
of Roxbury, Mass. She attended
Roxbury Memorial High School,
graduating in 1870 While in school
she was drill leader, on the ring com
mittee, and on the senior council.
She has been employed as an inspect
or by the Dewey and Almy Chemical
Company. Navy life will not be en-
tirely new to Miss freeman. She
states that in the Civil War her
grandfather, Abraham Fenno, was in
the NAVY.