Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry

Fredericka Douglass Sprague Perry (August 9, 1872 – October 23, 1943) was an American philanthropist and activist. Perry founded the Colored Big Sister Home for Girls in 1934 in Kansas City, Missouri. With her husband, John E. Perry, she worked to provide better health care to African-American children.

Early life and education Born Fredericka Douglass Sprague in Rochester, New York, on August 9, 1872. She was the daughter of Rosetta Douglass and granddaughter of Frederick Douglass. She was the fifth oldest child of the seven children of Rosetta Douglass Sprague and Nathan Sprague. She attended public school in Washington, DC, and then the Mechanics Institute in Rochester, New York. In 1923, she initiated the formation of the Missouri State Association of Colored Girls, sponsored by the senior women's association. Kansas City was one of the first cities to have such a group.