"U of I black woman graduate, 96, dies," February 7, 1988

U of I black woman In^lk graduate, 96, dies UiUy) ADAH By DEANNA COX Register Staff Writer Setting a good example always was important to Adah Johnson. Mrs. Johnson, 96, who died of a heart ailment Wednesday, was one of the first two black women to graduate from the University of Iowa in 1908. '*We were an ex¬ ample to young Negroes coming after us," Johnson said in an interview JOHNSON six years ago. "Many said, 'Why go farther when we can't get the jobs anyway?' Now there are hundreds and hundreds of Negro students." Mrs. Johnson graduated from the Uof I with a major in history and English and taught most of her life in cities around the country. She retired in 1948 as executive director of the Blue Triangle Branch of the YWCA. She also was involved with the Will¬ kie House Community Center in Des Moines, where the library is dedicat¬ ed to her. Her cousin, Maxine Watkins of Des Moines, said she had special qualities that allowed her to succeed in the ear¬ ly part of the cen