Alert

Book donations paused Oct. 19-30 for the Fall Book Sale More Info

Arlington Public Library

Update: Quincy St entrance closed during upgrades at Central Library.

Center for Local History Blog

Dedicated to collecting, preserving and sharing the history of the community.

Sharing the Love: Edmond and Alice Fleet

This year’s theme for Arlington Reads is love—feeling it, sharing it, and reading about it. We thought it was a good opportunity to share some of our favorite Arlington power couples who worked together to share their love for the whole community. This is part two of an ongoing series of blog posts, each featuring a different couple.

Alice and Edmond Fleet with hearts in the background.

Alice and Edmond Fleet. From RG 11: The Papers of Edmond C. Fleet, Collector, 1812-1984.

The lives of Edmond and Alice Fleet can be summed up as a series of fearless firsts. Despite the barriers they faced under Jim Crow segregation, they forged successful careers while generously donating their time and leadership to the church, social organizations and local politics. During their 46 years of marriage, Alice and Edmond uplifted one another and served as an inspiration to their community.

Alice Fleet playing croquet.

Alice Fleet playing croquet. From RG 11.

Alice West Fleet (1909-2000) was born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia, on a former plantation estate called Prestwould Farm. Her father, William West, was a farm caretaker and respected stone mason. Her mother, Rose Skipwith, was a housewife whose parents had been enslaved.

Alice knew at an early age that her dream was to be a teacher. After graduating from Thyne Institute, a prestigious, historically Black Presbyterian boarding school, Alice became a public school teacher while earning a degree in elementary education from Virginia State College.

In 1937, Alice married Edmond Claudius Fleet (1902-1983), a widower with three children, and moved to Arlington with her new family. Edmond worked as a civilian pastry chef for the United States Navy at the National Naval Medical Center. Throughout his career, he won many awards recognizing his culinary skills.

Edmond Fleet in chef attire holding silverware in both hands.

Edmond Fleet in chef attire, holding silver set won as first prize in a bake contest at Sheraton Park. From RG 11.

A Beloved Educator

After teaching for two years in Fairfax County, Alice was hired at Hoffman-Boston, which opened in 1915 as Arlington’s first junior high school for Black students. She continued to earn her master's degree in reading from the University of Pennsylvania during the summers between teaching and, later, pursued a PhD at George Washington University.

When Alice was appointed to fill a vacancy as reading specialist, she became the first Black reading teacher in Arlington County.

Alice Fleet at a Delta Sigma Theta gathering.

Alice Fleet at a gathering of Delta Sigma Theta, an organization of college-educated women committed to public service with a focus on the Black community. From RG 11.

On February 2, 1959, Arlington’s Stratford Junior High became the first school in Virginia to desegregate. Soon, other schools followed suit, and Alice was reassigned to Woodmont Elementary on North Fillmore Street. Alice became the first Black teacher in the county to teach at a previously all-white school.

Alice served as an Arlington County educator for over three decades, holding additional posts at Drew Elementary in Green Valley and Reed Elementary in Westover. She retired from teaching in 1971.

After Alice retired, she drew upon her expertise as an educator to spearhead the Educational Guild at Mount Zion Baptist Church, which provided scholarships to high school and college students. After Edmond’s death in 1983, she also established a scholarship fund in his name for disadvantaged college students.

In 2019, Arlington County opened Alice West Fleet Elementary School, named in her honor as a beloved teacher and educational pioneer.

Meeting Community Needs

Edmond and Alice were pivotal in founding the first YMCA in Arlington to serve Black community members. Seeing a desperate need for Black children to have an opportunity to socialize and participate in sports, a group of neighbors came together in 1946 to provide recreational programming specifically for people of color.

Two women holding a shovel with others behind them smiling.

Groundbreaking ceremony for the Veteran’s Memorial YMCA swimming pool. Photo from RG 11. Learn more about the Veterans Memorial YMCA here. 

By 1953, they had gathered enough funds to build the Veteran’s Memorial YMCA, a permanent home in Green Valley for their activities. It included a community room where dances and movie screenings were held. Located near Drew School, it naturally had a strong bond with neighborhood children, since the county’s Parks and Recreation system was still segregated.

In the late 1950s, this YMCA branch started a campaign to build a swimming pool to serve Black residents who were barred from using the county’s public swimming pools.

Edmond was a tireless fundraiser for the Veteran’s Memorial YMCA, serving on its management committee for 27 years. Alice served on the Board of Directors through the 1990s.

Civic Engagement

After retiring from their careers, the Fleets became involved in local politics. In 1977, they hosted Lady Bird Johnson at their home for a Chuck Robb campaign event. Chuck Robb—who was the husband of Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, daughter of President Lyndon B. and Lady Bird Johnson—ran as a Democrat for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and won the election in 1977.

Alice Fleet was later appointed by Chuck Robb to serve two terms on the Virginia State Commission on the Status of Women. Alice also served as President-at-Large of the Arlington County Democratic Committee.

a man and three women dressed professionally at a fundraiser.

Lady Bird Johnson, second from left. Pictured with Edmond Fleet on the left, an unnamed woman to the right, and Alice Fleet on the far right at a fundraiser for Chuck Robb during his campaign for lieutenant governor. From RG 11.

“Let nothing and no one stop you.”

Alice was known among her students for a powerful motto that she taught them: “Let nothing and no one stop you.” In their commitment to equal rights and dedication to family and community, Alice and Edmond Fleet lived this motto every day of their lives.

Sources:

Help Build Arlington's Community History

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities. Learn how you can play an active role in documenting Arlington's history by donating physical and/or digital materials for the Center for Local History’s permanent collection.

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? 

Use this form to send a message to the Charlie Clark Center for Local History.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Story

Ellen M. Bozman at 100

April 21, 2025, marks Ellen M. Bozman’s 100th birthday.

Bozman (1925-2009) was a community activist, politician and visionary leader who left behind a legacy which guided Arlington in transitioning from a suburban enclave to a bustling urban community while preserving the vitality of Arlington’s neighborhoods.

Ellen M. Bozman Papers (1961-2004)
Photo of Ellen M. Bozman at her desk.
Ellen M. Bozman at her desk; 1981 campaign brochure.

Bozman's Legacy Is Still Felt In The Arlington Community

Her prior planning experience gave Bozman the skills to help manage development in Metro corridors, allowing apartments, condominiums, single-family dwellings, parks and recreation areas to remain unchanged.

Her civic influence extended beyond her tenure as a board member through participation in various community organizations and governmental bodies. She advocated for controlled development, instituting services for the elderly and children and transparent government.

Photo of Ellen Bozman with Congressman Joe Fisher.

Ellen M. Bozman worked with former Congressman Joseph L. Fisher to get nearly 3 million dollars a year in federal funding for Arlington’s neighborhood conservation program; 1981 campaign brochure.

Photo of Ellen M. Bozman working at her seat on the Arlington County Board; 1970s.

Photo of Ellen M. Bozman working at her seat on the Arlington County Board; 1970s.

Photo of Ellen M. Bozman, attending the groundbreaking ceremony for C&P Telephone, one of the first companies to move into the new Courthouse Plaza in Arlington; 1987.

Ellen M. Bozman, pictured to the right, attends the groundbreaking ceremony for C&P Telephone, one of the first companies to move into the new Courthouse Plaza in Arlington; 1987.

Portrait of Ellen M. Bozman.

The Early Years

Bozman moved to the Arlington area in 1946 and entered civic life through the League of Women Voters, conducting public education campaigns supporting the integration of Arlington Public Schools.

She then served on several county commissions in the 1960s and early 1970s. Bozman was elected to the County Board in 1973 as an Independent, the first woman elected since 1958.

Bozman served from 1974 to 1997 on the Arlington County Board.

Bozman, a six-time board chair with 24 years of public service, is the longest serving Arlington County Board member (1974-1997).

In a time when few women held public leadership roles, she distinguished herself as a passionate leader and pioneer, effective consensus-builder and powerful agent of change.

Ellen M. Bozman featured as one of the "1986 Washingtonians of the year." Washingtonian Magazine, 1987.
Ellen M. Bozman featured as one of the "1986 Washingtonians of the year." Washingtonian Magazine, 1987.

In Her Own Words

“Since I joined the County Board in 1973, Arlington has become a community of rich diversity, expanding opportunities and ever more complex governmental challenges. I know we can meet whatever lies ahead due to the pride that Arlingtonians show for their community and their willingness to help make it better. I am privileged to have been a part of this process.”

Ellen M. Bozman
1985 campaign letter

A Tireless Advocate For Child Care & Affordable Housing

Her early initiatives included improving standards for child care, developing the first nursing homes in Arlington and advocating for tenants’ rights and affordable housing.

She also supported the first Arlington farmers market and Neighborhood Day and co-founded the Alliance for Housing Solutions, which works for affordable housing.

Bozman remained active in the county until her death on January 8, 2009.

Find more information about Ellen M. Bozman by visiting the Charlie Clark Center for Local History. (RG 333: Ellen M. Bozman Papers, 1961-2004)

ArlNow article by Scott McCaffrey (02/04/2025)

 

Glencarlyn Library’s 101st Birthday

Opened in the fall of 1923, Glencarlyn Library celebrated its 101st birthday with a rededication and all-ages celebration on September 21, 2024.

Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey, Arlington Public Library Deputy Director Anne Gable, Glencarlyn Civic Association President Brandon Hemel and Glencarlyn Library Centennial Celebration Chair Julie Lee all celebrated the library's storied century as a hub for nearby communities.

Patrons shared heartfelt stories—sometimes spanning generations—of what this library, community and milestone mean to them.

Willa

"I've never seen so many books before in my life!"

Mary Florance Benn

"I think that the love of the library is so important to an individual, and particularly to young people and to children, that I would hope that all of them could have that close experience that I did."

Julie Lee

"Glencarlyn Library is so very important to me because it has been a part of my family for generations."

Colleen Lunsford and Órla Lunsford

"Thank you to the librarians who keep those books on the shelves and give us suggestions about what to read."

"Thank you, library, for all the books you let me borrow!"

Adriana & Maxine Backus

"Everywhere you look in the community, you realize that Glencarlyn is what it is because, at some point, somebody cared a lot."

Barbara McMichael

"Back then, in the middle of the library, they had these big boxes that stuck out, and they were full of cards. And they held something that we learned was called the Dewey Decimal System."

Lynn Green Robinson

"We moved into this neighborhood in 1958, and this library was a little white house. It was my favorite place on the face of the earth."

Marie Wilson

"As a child, our family came to the library once a week at least. And sometimes, if we were really bored, we asked to come more than once a week because we would have read all the books that we took home the weekend before."

J Vic Funderburk

Infamous FBI agent-turned-Russian asset Robert Hanssen "would come in and pick up a post and sit at one of the tables, holding the newspaper in such a way that it appeared that he was reading it... It became increasingly obvious that he was not reading it!"

Susan Walsh

"Our experience of this library really shaped who we became. We love books, and we want to share that."

The Friendly Cab Company

In 1947, Ralph Collins started a cab company to help his neighbors get around under Jim Crow segregation. It was one of the longest-running businesses in Green Valley.

Ralph Collins walking with his wife, Cornelia in the 1940s.

Ralph Collins with his wife Cornelia, ca. 1940s. From WETA’s Boundary Stones.

There were plenty of ways to get around Arlington in the 1940s. By then, streetcars had given way to bus routes and taxi cabs. As automobile ownership increased, so did commuter culture and the rise of numerous highways such as Shirley Highway (I-395 today).

But it was not so easy for Black Arlingtonians to get where they needed to go. Under Jim Crow, they were discriminated against on public transit and barred from using white taxi services. Segregation ruled every aspect of public life, from restaurants to barber shops and recreation centers.

Even access to medical care was separate and unequal. Arlington Hospital (now Virginia Medical Center) had segregated wards, and services to Black patients were limited. The maternity ward would not offer care to Black mothers, who were expected to travel to hospitals in Washington, D.C., or Alexandria to give birth.

For Black Arlingtonians, traveling that far in a medical emergency was difficult, especially since many could not afford cars of their own.

In 1947, Ralph Delaware Collins (1896–1951) of Green Valley founded Friendly Cab Company to help address this urgent need. It began as a shuttle service, transporting neighbors to and from medical appointments. Over time, Friendly Cab expanded into a full-service taxicab company and a cherished community institution.

Friendly Cab driver Granderson O. Bollock.

Friendly Cab driver Granderson O. Bollock. From RG 338: The Personal Papers of Birdie and Mable Alston, 1905-2019.

The company’s first taxis were Chryslers and many of the drivers were off-duty Black firemen. One early driver for Friendly Cab was Granderson O. Bullock (1910-2003). He worked as a milkman before becoming a part-time driver. He also worked for The Peyton Funeral Home and later, the U.S. postal service.

Friendly Cab gained a reputation for going above and beyond in their service to the community. In a Northern Virginia Sun article from 1965, Alice Kennard, who suffered from multiple sclerosis, praised the drivers of Friendly Cab Company for always getting her to her treatments, even if that meant "the driver picked her up and carried her to the cab.”

A newspaper clip from the Northern Virginia Sun about the Friendly Cab Company.

“Life in a Wheelchair Temporary, She Says,” by Virginia Warren. Northern Virginia Sun, vol. 28, no. 207, June 4, 1965.

After Ralph Collins' death in 1951, his brother Doug took over the company. William Collins, Sr. inherited the business and ran it until the mid-1990s, when he passed it along to William Collins, Jr., who managed it with help from Charles Collins and, later, Darryl Collins.

A newspaper clip of Ralph D. Collins' obituary in 1951.

Ralph D. Collins’ obituary, 1951. Source.

In an interview, Darryl remembered the day he decided to take over the family business. At his father’s funeral, longtime community leader Dr. Alfred Taylor stood up to speak on the man’s life and legacy. He then looked directly at Darryl and his siblings and said, “Do not let this business go away.”

Darryl knew then and there that the Friendly Cab Company was too important to let go. He continued to run the business with his sister, Vicky. Over the years, they turned down multiple offers to purchase the company, resolving instead to help Friendly Cab meet the community’s changing needs.

Facing increasing competition from rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, the Friendly Cab Company recently ceased operations. According to the Arlington County Register of Historic Places, it was one of the longest-running businesses in Nauck history.

Sources:

Help Build Arlington's Community History

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities. Learn how you can play an active role in documenting Arlington's history by donating physical and/or digital materials for the Center for Local History’s permanent collection.

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? 

Use this form to send a message to the Charlie Clark Center for Local History.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Story

Sharing the Love: Elizabeth and Edmund Campbell

This year’s theme for Arlington Reads is love – sharing it, celebrating it, and reading about it. We thought it was a good opportunity to highlight some of our favorite Arlington power couples who worked together to ‘spread the love’ in their communities. This is part one of an ongoing series of blog posts, each featuring a different couple.

Edmund and Elizabeth Campbell.

Edmund and Elizabeth Campbell. Photos from RG 19: Personal Papers of Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell, 1942-1991.

During their 60 years of marriage, Elizabeth and Edmund Campbell dedicated themselves to improving Arlington’s public school system. Leveraging their respective skills in education and law, they motivated one another to support their community through political engagement, volunteering and activism.

Edmund Campbell (1899–1995) met Elizabeth Pfohl (1902–2004) in 1936 while Elizabeth was serving as dean of Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia. After they married, Elizabeth moved to Cherrydale, where Edmund lived while practicing law in Washington. She adopted Edmund’s two children from a previous marriage and in 1941 they had twins of their own.

At that time, Arlington’s population was booming, in part because of the influx of wartime government workers. Between 1870 (when the first public school was established in Arlington) and 1950, the school-age population had nearly quadrupled. The school system was unequipped to teach so many children. Resources were spread thin and teachers were overwhelmed by large class sizes and long hours.

a license plate that reads, better schools make better communities.

License plate with the phrase, "Better Schools Make Better Communities" From RG 19.

The Campbells, wanting a better education for their children, decided to step up and demand a change. They became charter members of the Citizen Committee for School Improvement ("CCSI").

In 1947, they helped introduce legislation that gave Arlington the right to elect its own School Board, which they hoped would better serve the community. Until then, the School Board had been appointed by a School Trustee Electoral Board which in turn was appointed by the circuit court of Arlington County.

a newsletter from Citizen Committee for School Improvement (CCSI).

CCSI Newsletter, n.d. From RG 19.

Following this victory, CCSI focused on gathering nominees for the elected School Board. Despite her professional background in education and involvement in the Arlington PTA, Elizabeth Campbell declined to run—until her husband encouraged her to do so.

EDMUND: How did you get involved formally in the Better Schools Movement?

ELIZABETH: Well, I was asked to be a candidate to run for the elected school board, and I think I was asked after the two of us had received a group of Arlington citizens who said, "Which one of you will be a candidate for the School Board?" And you said, "I will not, but Elizabeth, I think you should because you have been active in school affairs."

EDMUND: And I had just finished my term on the County Board.

ELIZABETH: So, then you were asked to be the Chairman of the School Board Nominating Convention. The Convention was held on a hot August night, and I...

EDMUND: Where was it held?

ELIZABETH: It was held in the Ashton Heights Club House south of Pershing Drive on Fillmore Street. I remember that we got ready to go over there. We got in the car, and as we drove, you said, "Now, Elizabeth, you have worked very hard to get an elected School Board. There's no reason why with all of these good people as candidates you shouldn't get yourself nominated.” And I said, "No, I'm not going to."

But I got over there in that crowded room, and I was asked to make my little one-minute or two-minute talk. I looked around at all of the people who had worked so hard to pass this legislation to give us the right to have an elected School Board. I was thrilled with a patriotic fervor that I had never felt before or since. I don't know what I said, but the result of what I said was that I was the one woman nominated to serve with four men as candidates for the Arlington Elected School Board.

A notecard with a guide on school board candidates to vote for in 1947 election.

Notecard with a guide on which school board candidates to vote for in the 1947 election. From RG 19.

After a grueling campaign, they succeeded in getting all five nominees elected. Elizabeth served on the School Board from 1948 through 1955, and again from 1960 to 1963. They often held meetings in the Campbells’ home, where Edmund continued to support Elizabeth and the work they were doing to raise funds for school improvements.

A pamphlet urging Arlington residents to vote yes for a bond in the 1950s.

Pamphlet urging Arlington Residents to vote "Yes" to a bond issue of $4,750,000 to build more schools for Arlington's increased population and school enrollment. From RG 19.

The Campbells also helped desegregate Arlington’s schools, vehemently opposing Virginia’s policy of “Massive Resistance,” which occurred in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decisions in Brown v. Board of Education. In 1954 and 1955, the couple fought to ensure that Arlington's public schools stay open by organizing the Save Our Schools Committee in defiance of Senator Harry F. Byrd and his allies.

a flyer from the save our schools committee for voting against the constitutional convention.

Flyer from the Save Our Schools Committee arguing for a vote against the constitutional convention. From RG 18: Personal Papers of Barbara Marx.

In 1955, Edmund won a case that overturned a Virginia law prohibiting racially integrated seating in public places. In 1958, following the closure of schools in Norfolk, Charlottesville and Front Royal, he successfully argued as the lead attorney in James v. Almond, finally ending Virginia's “Massive Resistance" laws that had forced the closing of all public schools which Federal courts had ordered to integrate. Following that decision, the first Black students entered Stratford Junior High School on February 2, 1959.

Through civic engagement, community organizing and simple kindness, the Campbells worked together to make Arlington a better place for the rest of their lives.

Sources:

Help Build Arlington's Community History

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities. Learn how you can play an active role in documenting Arlington's history by donating physical and/or digital materials for the Center for Local History’s permanent collection.

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? 

Use this form to send a message to the Charlie Clark Center for Local History.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Story

Our Lady Queen of Peace

November is Black Catholic History Month. Take some time to read about Arlington’s historic Black Catholic church.

Founding member Mrs. Alice Moorman breaking ground for Our Lady Queen of Peace.

Founding member Mrs. Alice Moorman breaking ground for Our Lady Queen of Peace, September 20,1946. Behind her is Clarence Brown. From the OLQP website.

On a warm, green September day in 1946, Mrs. Alice Moorman, wearing her Sunday best, struck a shovel into the ground while her neighbors and priests looked on. She paused and posed for a picture – this was a moment they would want to remember for a long time to come.

Here, in the Nauck neighborhood at S. Edgewood and 19th St., is where they would build their church, Our Lady Queen of Peace (OLQP).

OLQP was born from a shared faith and resistance against racist attitudes that Black Catholics encountered in Arlington. The local Catholic Church at that time, Saint Thomas Moore, was not welcoming to Black parishioners. They were segregated to the balcony of the church and were served communion last.

Saint Mary’s in Alexandria (the oldest Catholic church in Virginia) was more welcoming, but because buses didn’t run on Sunday, it was inaccessible to those without a car. Some traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the historically Black St. Augustine, but even then, Black Arlingtonians faced discrimination on public transportation.

In 1945, 16 Black Catholics came together and petitioned Bishop Ireton of the Diocese of Richmond to establish a church in Arlington County where they could worship in dignity. They were Joseph Bowman, Clarence and Selena Brown, Alice Butler, Lawrence and Jessie Butler, Irma Carter, Hattie Ellis, Mary Fernanders, Edward Marshall, Grace McGwinn, Edward and Alice Moorman, Constance Spencer, Sophia Terry and Thaddenia West.

Even before they had a church to worship in, the 16 founding members began holding mass in their homes. Father Joe Hackett celebrated their first mass on Pentecost Sunday, May 20, 1945. Two years later, on Pentecost Sunday, June 15, 1947, Bishop Peter Ireton dedicated Our Lady Queen of Peace.

The exterior building for Our Lady Queen of Peace.

Our Lady Queen of Peace, 2700 S. 19th St. Photograph taken August 25, 1996. From PG 202: The Palmer Collection: Arlington Structures and Places, 1996-2006.

Jackie Smith and her family were among the earliest members of OLQP. In 1952, her mother Lena Alfred converted to Catholicism and joined the church. She became active in numerous groups, including the sodality (a lay devotional society), credit union and choir. In an interview with Jackie, who became an active parishioner herself, she recalled cooking with her mother for fundraiser dinners at OLQP.

SMITH: In 1952, Mama said we were going to become Catholic.

INTERVIEWER: And why did she make that decision?

SMITH: Well, I guess because, she had friends, you know, like Mrs. West or others who were Catholic. I mean, she liked the Catholic religion better. I don’t know all her reasoning, and I never really asked her “Why did you do that?” Maybe one of my siblings know, but I don’t know.

INTERVIEWER: You weren’t invited to make a decision?

SMITH: No, I mean I did what my mom said. We’re going to Our Lady Queen of Peace, and we’re going to become Catholics. And that’s what we did.

INTERVIEWER: And did they join various groups in there? Did your mother join the sodality?

SMITH: My mother joined the sodality. My mother was on the credit union. She was on the credit union’s supervisory committee. My mother was in the choir, you name it. And my mother was very active. I’m sort of like her, my mother was on quite a few committees in the church. Yes.

INTERVIEWER: And did you find that other families were active too?

SMITH: Yes.

INTERVIEWER: So they were part of a really good team, weren’t they?

SMITH: Good team. Yeah. And when we first came up here at Our Lady Queen of Peace, they used to have dinners, fundraisers. In the back of the church, there was a kitchen. And some of my fondest memories was working with my mom, frying chicken or whatever for the fundraiser and making money for the church.

INTERVIEWER: Tell me what they served at that fundraiser.

SMITH: They would have fried chicken and greens and potato salad, desserts, and those kinds of things like that.

INTERVIEWER: Real good Southern cooking.

SMITH: Southern cooking. That’s a great way to put it. And there would be a group of women, Black women. Cause at that time, the church was totally Black.

INTERVIEWER: Totally Black?

SMITH: Black. Yeah. Until the 1960s when the diocese changed the boundaries of the church, to include Columbia Pike and all the other surrounding areas, then it became a little bit more mixed. But at first, it was all Black.

The church officially integrated in the 1960s, but a few white families joined earlier on. Theresa Quinnan Fitzgerald became one of the first non-Black members in the mid-1950s when her parents decided to leave St. Thomas Moore and join OLQP.

Theresa’s early memories of OLQP are defined by the colorful personality of Father David Ray, who joined the church in 1958 and guided it through integration. Under his leadership, OLQP established a large multipurpose Family Activity Center, a daycare center and the Matthew 25 thrift shop to provide free clothing and resources to the community. Fr. Ray was also known for his ministry to LGBTQ Catholics.

INTERVIEWER: That’s the priest who was the great orator? 

FITZGERALD: Mhmm [affirmative]. 

INTERVIEWER: He was very well, very much admired. 

FITZGERALD: He’s the one who, people, they would come from Dupont Circle, from as far as Dupont Circle. 

INTERVIEWER: From the gay community that he serviced there. 

FITZGERALD: But at the time, nobody knew about this community. 

INTERVIEWER: Right. 

FITZGERALD: It was still hush-hush. 

INTERVIEWER: Pretty underground? 

FITZGERALD: Pretty underground, yeah, exactly. 

INTERVIEWER: Tell me more about Father Ray as a personality.

FITZGERALD: He was a huge personality. He was military man. I think he was a retired army colonel. And he was, he was in this very, very poor, you know, sent to this very, very poor parish, and I think it was quite an adjustment for him, to be in this poor parish. But he was out there in the community, he was a great talker, a great hand-shaker. He would, you know, go to the local drug store, corner store, and get in conversations with people. There was no stopping him, he was just a big personality.

Over the decades, OLQP has continued to grow and expand its ministry. In the 1970s, during a wave of immigration following the fall of Saigon, Vietnamese Catholics began joining the parish. Beginning in the 1980s, OLQP saw an influx of Latino parishioners. Spanish mass is celebrated weekly to this day.

The thriving parish, now home to a diverse community of over 1,500 families from all walks of life, carries forth the legacy of 16 brave Arlingtonians who set out to create a safe and welcoming space to practice their faith.

Sources:

Jackie Smith interview - Charlie Clark Center for Local History Oral History Project

Our History - Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church

Theresa Quinnan Fitzgerald interview - Charlie Clark Center for Local History Oral History Project

Timothy Hickey interview - Charlie Clark Center for Local History Oral History Project

Help Build Arlington's Community History

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities. Learn how you can play an active role in documenting Arlington's history by donating physical and/or digital materials for the Center for Local History’s permanent collection.

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? 

Use this form to send a message to the Charlie Clark Center for Local History.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Story

Edu-Futuro: Preserving Latino Culture in Arlington

September 15th marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated through the middle of October. We're taking this opportunity to share a CCCLH collection that highlights the history and culture of Arlington’s Latino communities – the Katharine Panfil Records of Edu-Futuro.

A group of students of Escuela Bolivia.

Students of Escuela Bolivia, ca. 2001. 

In 1998, a group of Bolivian parents and teachers in Arlington came together to address a pressing concern that the children in their community would forget the language and traditions of the home they left behind.

They consulted with Bolivian Ambassador Marcelo Pérez Monasterios and met with Superintendent of Arlington Public Schools Robert G. Smith to collaborate on an academic enrichment program that could meet the needs of Arlington’s rapidly growing immigrant population. Thus, Escuela Bolivia (later renamed Edu-Futuro) was born.

Escuela Bolivia began as a Saturday morning academic program that provided Spanish and mathematics education to Latino students. It was also a space for students to learn about Bolivian culture, listen to Bolivian music, eat Bolivian foods, and meet other Bolivian children. The program supported parents as well, offering classes in English and computer skills.

A promotional flyer for Escuela Bolivia Saturday School in Spring 2015.

Promotional flyer for Escuela Bolivia Saturday School, 2015. From RG 394: Katherine Panfil Records of Edu-Futuro.

One of the founding members was educator and longtime Arlington resident Emma Violand-Sanchez. Born and raised in Cochabamba, Bolivia, she came to Lorton, VA, in 1961 at the age of 16 while her father was in political exile—part of the first major wave of immigration to Northern Virginia which occurred during the Bolivian National Revolution. When she enrolled as a senior at Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Violand-Sanchez was the only Latin American student.

She earned a four-year scholarship at Radford College, where she majored in foreign languages and education, graduating in 1966. After spending time teaching in Bolivia, Violand-Sanchez returned to the U.S. to pursue a doctorate from George Washington University. During her studies, Arlington Public Schools hired her as a bilingual resource teacher for Patrick Henry and Key Elementary School.

Dr. Violand Sanchez.

In an interview, Dr. Violand-Sanchez expressed her sense of belonging in Arlington: “I can be as American as apple pie as well as Bolivian as salteña.” Photo from Arlington Historical.

A lifelong proponent of bilingual education, Dr. Violand-Sanchez became supervisor of the school system’s English for Speakers of Other Languages/High-Intensity Language Training (ESOL/HILT) program. She was the first Latina teacher in Arlington and later became the first Latina member of the Arlington County School Board.

In the 1980s, Arlington’s Bolivian population continued to grow. As Bolivia suffered from hyperinflation, families sought better opportunities and a higher quality of life in the United States. Many who immigrated in the 1980s were of Quechua descent, most of them hailing from the Valle Alto region of Cochabamba, from towns like Tarata, Arbieto, Cliza, Punata and Tolata. By 2000, Arlington was home to the largest Bolivian community in the United States.

Students of Edu-Futuro, 2012.

Students of Edu-Futuro, ca. 2012.

In this excerpt from a 1999 interview with Dr. Violand-Sanchez, she talks about the many Bolivian community organizations in Arlington at that time, in addition to the Escuela Bolivia program she helped create:

“...We have many community-based organizations that maybe many people don't know about. For example, in the Bolivian community we have several organizations such as the Bolivian Soccer League, we have the Bolivian Cultural Society, we have the Comité pro Bolivia that has more than twenty-four folkloric groups. For the National Day celebration of August 6 [Bolivia Independence Day], we may have as many as 6,000 Bolivians at Wakefield High School. We have a lot of regional committees from Bolivia such as the Comité pro Tarata, which is one region in Cochabamba that has their own group...”

Students and teachers at Edu-Futuro, from the program website.

Students and teachers at Edu-Futuro, from the program website.

Over the years, Escuela Bolivia has continued to expand, becoming an important hub for both the Arlington and Fairfax communities. In 2011, they renamed the organization Edu-Futuro to better reflect the diverse communities they serve, while still maintaining close ties with the program’s Bolivian roots. Today, Edu-Futuro provides countless programs to enrich the education and culture of their students, from college prep to workforce development and civic engagement.

Sources:

 

Call for Donations

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) seeks community donations of a variety of materials to help document the rich, vibrant history of the Latino community in Arlington County. REAL, or el Re-Encuentro de Arlington Latinos, is a multi-year collecting initiative born out of a desire to include more documentation of the Latino community’s history in the CCCLH’s Arlington Community Archives. Community archives play a vital role in documenting all voices of a community. Learn more about how to participate here.

Help Build Arlington's Community History

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities. Learn how you can play an active role in documenting Arlington's history by donating physical and/or digital materials for the Center for Local History’s permanent collection.

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? 

Use this form to send a message to the Charlie Clark Center for Local History.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Story

Happy Birthday to Smokey Bear!

Rudolph Wendelin, Arlingtonian and artist for the U.S. Forest Service, was Smokey’s “caretaker” for decades. Celebrate Smokey’s birthday by learning about the artist that made him the bear he is today.

Smokey Bear turned 80 this month!

The beloved fire safety icon was created by the U.S. Forest Service during World War II, when wood was a particularly precious natural resource needed to fuel the war effort. To combat the prevalence of human-caused forest fires, the Forest Service established the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention (CFFP) program in 1942. The CFFP adopted Smokey as its official symbol two years later when artist Albert Staehle created the first depiction of a caring, protective, hat-wearing bear named Smokey.

The original smokey bear drawing.

The first Smokey Bear poster created by Albert Staehle, 1944.

Many artists followed Staehle in depicting Smokey Bear. Prominent among these was Rudolph (Rudy) Wendelin, whose paintings of Smokey spanned his career with the Forest Service and continued long after his retirement in 1973. Wendelin softened and humanized Smokey's features, making the character more appealing to children, to whom much of the fire prevention campaign was directed.

Born to Austrian immigrants in 1910, Wendelin grew up in Ludell, Kansas, and attended public school in Herndon, Kansas. He began drawing at an early age and was soon earning prizes for his cartoons at county fairs.

After dropping out of the University of Kansas during the Great Depression, Wendelin was hired as a draftsman for the Forest Service regional office in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He started drawing maps, manuals and guides for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a New Deal government work relief program. When his exhibits of CCC camps and wildlife conservation projects drew national attention, Wendelin was transferred to Washington, D.C., in 1936.

Rudy Wendelin with his paint brushes.

Rudy Wendelin, among his paint brushes, date unknown. From the Sierra Club website.

After a stint as a Navy artist during World War II, Wendelin returned to the Forest Service in 1946 and was given responsibility for the Smokey Bear project. He went on to create thousands of Smokey depictions that highlighted natural resources, conservation and forest fire prevention.

Wendelin made Smokey a household name, distributing artwork across the country, hosting talks at schools, and creating ads for newspapers, radio, and television. His work earned him many awards, including the Medal of Honor presented by the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Horace Hart Award from the graphic arts industry, and both the Silver and Gold Smokey Bear Awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture —which he himself had designed.

Smokey Bear in the forest with a gold medal.

“Nature’s Gold Medal Winner.” Painted by Rudy Wendelin in 1988. From the USDA National Agricultural Library Special Collections.

While Smokey Bear’s residence was in D.C. (at his very own zip code, 20252), Wendelin lived across the Potomac with his wife Carrol Bergman at 4516 N. 7th Street in Arlington.

Outside of work, Wendelin was an active board member of Our Savior Lutheran Church and painted religious themes in addition to landscapes and cartoons. He marched alongside his wife in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom as a member of the Lutheran Human Relations Association of America.

In the 1970s, Wendelin also devoted his artistic abilities to protesting the construction of Interstate 66 in the name of protecting his community from automobile pollution and overreliance on fossil fuels. Writing frequently to the editors of the Northern Virginia Sun, he passionately decried what he saw as the shortsightedness of the I-66 project regarding environmental impact.

a cartoon about the changes regarding 1-66.

A political cartoon by Rudy Wendelin on the proposed plans for I-66. Published in the Northern Virginia Sun, August 14, 1973.

Wendelin worked with community organizations like the Arlington Coalition on Transportation (ACT) to envision more sustainable alternatives to I-66. He drew up designs that emphasized public transportation, walkability and green space. After much debate, the highway was built and opened in 1982. But Wendelin’s illustrations offer a glimpse into Arlington as the artist and environmentalist imagined it could be.

A painting of nooks.
A painting of a sculpture garden.
a painting of two people riding bicycles.

Three of ten colored sketches done by Wendelin depicting ACT proposals for the I-66 corridor. From RG 379: Arlington Coalition on Transportation (ACT) Records, 1958-2001.

In both his professional and personal life, Wendelin used art to communicate the importance of preserving nature. His legacy lives on, most of all, in the enduring and endearing figure of Smokey Bear.

Sources:

Help Build Arlington's Community History

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities. Learn how you can play an active role in documenting Arlington's history by donating physical and/or digital materials for the Center for Local History’s permanent collection.

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? 

Use this form to send a message to the Charlie Clark Center for Local History.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Story

Swimming Away The Dog Days

The Stuart Paine Swimming and Diving Collection began with a mystery.

In 1967, at the age of 14, Stuart Paine began diving at the Springboard Swimming Pool in Springfield, VA, and shortly thereafter started participating in meets with the Northern Virginia Swimming League (NVSL). When Paine won first place in the 1968 NVSL 3-Meter Meet, NVSL recorded him as the first winner of the 3-Meter Meet in their official historical record.

However, Paine was present at the same meet the previous year, so he knew he couldn’t be the first person to win the 3-Meter Meet. This meant the official NVSL record was both inaccurate and incomplete.

A photo of Stuart Paine, who was in the center with a trophy at the 1969 NVSL meet.

Stuart Paine (bottom row, center) showing off his trophy at the 1969 NVSL meet. From RG 395: Stuart Paine Swimming and Diving Collection.

Realizing the discrepancy, Paine wanted to give earlier NVSL winners the recognition that they deserved. This led him to research the early history of the league as well as swimming and diving in Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, MD, and nearby areas. In 2016, Paine presented his findings to NVSL in a formal request for them to update their records.

In 2023, he donated this report, along with artifacts such as diving medals, patches and photographs, to the Charlie Clark Center for Local History for researchers to access. We consulted the Paine collection to learn about swimming in Arlington through the years.

Swimming in Arlington before the 1950s

Most people living in Arlington before the mid-20th century swam in natural creeks and rivers. Everett E. Norton, who grew up in Columbia Pike in the 1920s and '30s, used to go swimming at Four Mile Run as a child. Later, he would take trips to Fort Myer to swim at the pool there, which required a membership.

Buckingham Pool House in 1991.

Buckingham Pool House in 1991. The swimming pool complex was integral to the original plan for Buckingham Village, envisioned in the late 1930s as a self-contained community that included recreational, entertainment, and educational facilities. This also meant that the pool house was closed to non-residents of Buckingham.

In 1939, with no public swimming pool of its own, Arlington County arranged to transport children to the Washington, D.C., municipal pool in East Potomac Park. Until at least 1947, swimming sessions were segregated by gender. In 1950, Arlington began sending buses of Black children to East Potomac Park for desegregated swimming. Until then, only white children were permitted.

Children lined up to board a school bus.

Several children lined up to board a school bus to go to a public swimming pool in D.C. From RG 32: Documents from the County Manager's Library, 1889-1994.

Opening Pools in Arlington

The era of Northern Virginia community pools began in the summer of 1953 with the opening of Bradlee Towers Pool in Alexandria and Holmes Run Acres in Falls Church. A boom of swimming pool developments followed. Arlington gained its first community pool in 1955 with the opening of the Arlington Forest neighborhood pool.

When Ruth Cocklin moved to Arlington from California in 1954, she was surprised to find that Arlington didn’t have many swimming pools. Because they had few safe and accessible places to learn, many children didn’t know how to swim. Cocklin came together with her neighbors to establish a swimming pool for their neighborhood, which became the Donaldson Run Swimming Pool.

COCKLIN: “Another thing that I was surprised to find is that a lot of the children (and these were from middle-class families - from professional parents) didn't know how to swim; there was no place to swim. Arlington had no swimming pools.

We belonged to the Fort Myer club, but a number of people in our neighborhood, headed up by Julian Serles and Bob Kovaric and Allan Dean – and my husband was involved with this, Ken Weaver was another one – worked to start a swimming pool for our neighborhood...This became the Donaldson Run Swimming Pool, perhaps the most beautiful one that exists today in Arlington, although there are several neighborhood pools.

The Arlington Forest, I think, was the first one and Donaldson Run was the second, and it took a long time. There was talk of putting it on land on Military Road and the neighbors rose up in horror at that. Eventually they settled on this site on Marcey Road which was at that time a little separated from other people. But the people on Birchwood Place were sure that they were going to be overwhelmed with traffic and it took several years to get it through. And I think the pool finally opened in 1958 and that was a boon.

My children knew how to swim, but a lot of these youngsters simply didn't know a thing at all about it. And I personally think swimming is one of the things everybody should learn, basic swimming at least. Whether you get involved in racing or anything, is another thing.”

INTERVIEWER: “There are three or four of those neighborhood association pools.”

COCKLIN: “Arlington Forest, Overlee, and I think there are a couple of others in Arlington, I'm not sure. But there have been others out in McLean. They still are very, very popular and have long, long waiting lists.”

As new pools continued to open, the Northern Virginia Swimming League was established in May 1956 to organize swim and dive meets among competitive youth representing pools across the area.

The 1950s also marked the establishment and expansion of high schools in Arlington, many of which had swimming pools and swim teams of their own. Wakefield, Yorktown , and Washington-Lee (now Washington-Liberty) all had competitive swim teams by the 1960s. By 1969, all Arlington high schools were desegregated, as were their swim programs.

What’s your favorite place to go swimming in Arlington? Leave a comment and let us know!

 

Sources

RG 395: Stuart Paine Swimming and Diving Collection, 1892-2023.

Interview with Ruth C. Cocklin. Full transcript online.

Interview with Everett E. Norton. Full transcript online.

Library of Congress: Buckingham Apartment Complex.

Arlington County Website: Buckingham Village Historic District.

Help Build Arlington's Community History

The Center for Local History (CLH) collects, preserves and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities. Learn how you can play an active role in documenting Arlington's history by donating physical and/or digital materials for the Center for Local History’s permanent collection.

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? 

Use this form to send a message to the Charlie Clark Center for Local History.

Center For Local History - Blog Post Message Form

Do you have a question about this story, or a personal experience to share? Use this form to send a message to the Center for Local History.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Story

Pride Month Collection Spotlight: The Jay Fisette Papers

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History features a new collection of archival materials donated by Jay Fisette, RG 387: Personal Papers of Jay Fisette, 1992-2018.

In 1997, Fisette became the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to office in the state of Virginia when he won a seat on the Arlington County Board. He served for six terms on the Board between 1998 and 2017 and served as Board Chair five times, making him the second-longest-serving board member in Arlington County’s history after Ellen Bozman (in office 1974-1997).

Headshot of Jay Fisette from 1997.

Headshot of Jay Fisette, newly elected to the Arlington County Board in 1997. All images included in this post are from RG 387: Personal Papers of Jay Fisette.

After moving to Arlington in 1983 to pursue a career in the federal government, Fisette became involved in community service. He joined the Arlington Gay and Lesbian Alliance (now Equality NoVA) in 1988 and successfully advocated for the inclusion of sexual orientation protections in the county’s human rights ordinance. In 1989, he joined the Ashton Heights Civic Association, which helped spark his interest in local politics. From 1990 to 1998, Fisette served as the director of the Whitman-Walker Clinic of Northern Virginia, a non-profit community health center that specialized in HIV/AIDS care.

Fisette first ran for a vacant County Board seat in the 1993 special election. His candidacy and primary victory came as a surprise given that he was open about his sexuality throughout the campaign. Although Fisette lost the general election in 1993, he ran again in 1997 and won 62% of the votes.

Front of Postcard from Jay Fisette campaign.
Back of postcard for Jay Fisette Campaign.

Front and back of a postcard from the 2009 County Board election urging Arlingtonians to vote for Fisette, featuring his dogs Cassie and Chocco.

During his time in office, he continued to dedicate himself to supporting various local and regional organizations including the Arlington Arts Center (now the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington), Arlingtonians for a Better County, the Arlington Committee of 100, the Virginia Partisans Gay & Lesbian Democratic Club, and many more.

A pamphlet from 1996 created by the Human Rights Campaign.

A pamphlet from 1996 created by the Human Rights Campaign entitled “A Manual for Candidates: Questions you will be asked about lesbian and gay issues during your campaign.”

One of Fisette’s first acts as a County Board member was to write and pass a hate crimes resolution immediately following the death of Matthew Shepard in 1998. He was recognized for his exceptional service as Board Chair while helping guide Arlington County’s response to the September 11th terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

A flyer for Arlington's Day of Remembrance and Appreciation.

A flyer for Arlington’s Day of Remembrance and Appreciation on October 7, 2001.

During his tenure, Fisette prioritized environmental sustainability and fiscal responsibility. A bicycling enthusiast in his personal life, he was a major contributor to Capital BikeShare’s establishment and success in the Washington Metropolitan region.

Jay Fisette on his bike.

Jay Fisette riding his bicycle, 1997.

To learn more about Jay Fisette and his impact on Arlington County, you can listen to his oral history interview or contact us to see the Jay Fisette Papers.



Download the Library App