Jane Morrow Spaulding

Jane Morrow Spaulding (1900 – 10 September 1965) was a United States social worker. She was the first African American Assistant to the United States Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and the first African American female assistant secretary in a United States President's cabinet.

Life Jane was born in Logan County, Kentucky. She was raised in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1965, she died of a stroke.

Career Spaulding was an active and well-known United States social worker. At the time of her appointment, she was "the highest paid African American employed by the federal government." Particularly, Spaulding was asked to sign and distribute a letter that rebuffed the charges that Oveta Hobby was delaying integration of schools on military bases. Spaulding refused, and went on to give anti-discrimination speeches, along with supporting the NAACP's position on an issue of a Houston hospital not recognizing African American doctors. She then moved to the War Claims Commission, a move that was charged by NAACP director Clarence Mitchell as a ploy to eventually fire her completely. However, in 1954, she was appointed to her third position in the Eisenhower administration - a consultant with the Foreign Operations Administration.

Awards and honors Spaulding was named Woman of the Year by the National Council of Negro Women in 1953. In 1955, she was named one of America's ten best dressed women by Ebony magazine.