1875–1950
Who Was Carter G. Woodson?
Known as the “Father of Black History,” Carter G. Woodson dedicated his career to the field of African American history and lobbied extensively to establish Black History Month as a nationwide commemoration. He was the second Black American to receive a doctorate from Harvard, after W.E.B. Du Bois. Woodson wrote many historical works, including the influential 1933 book The Mis-Education of the Negro. He died in 1950, a quarter-century before President Gerald Ford recognized the first Black History Month.
Quick Facts
FULL NAME: Carter Godwin Woodson
BORN: December 19, 1875
DIED: April 3, 1950
BIRTHPLACE: New Canton, Virginia
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Sagittarius
Early Life and Education
Carter Godwin Woodson was born on December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia, to Anna Eliza Riddle Woodson and James Woodson. The fourth of seven children, Carter worked as a sharecropper and a miner to help his family. He began high school in his late teens and proved to be an excellent student, completing a four-year course of study in less than two years.
After attending Berea College in Kentucky, Carter worked for the U.S. government as an education superintendent in the Philippines. He undertook more travels before returning stateside to continue his studies. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Chicago.
Woodson went on to receive a doctorate in history from Harvard University in 1912. He was the second Black American to have earned a Ph.D. from the prestigious institution, following in the footsteps of W.E.B. Du Bois. After finishing his education, Woodson dedicated himself to the field of African American history.