Lena Santos Ferguson

Lena Lorraine Santos Ferguson (1928 – 2004) was an American secretary and civil rights advocate. Ferguson was denied membership to a local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1980 due to her race, after applying multiple times. She was admitted to the organization as an at-large member in 1983, becoming the second known African-American member. Ferguson pushed for the Daughters of the American Revolution to revise their national bylaws, leading to the organization banning discrimination based on race. She later founded, and served as chair, of the D.C. DAR Scholarship Committee. Ferguson was honored with a memorial plaque in the garden at DAR Constitution Hall in 2023.

Early life and family Ferguson was born Lena Lorraine Santos in 1928 in New Britain, Connecticut.

Career Ferguson moved to Washington, D.C. in 1952 and was employed as an office worker with the United States Department of the Navy. In 1956, she began volunteering at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic School and was later hired as the school secretary. Despite being eligible due to her descent from Jonah Gay, her application was denied multiple times because she was black.

In 1983, she was admitted to the organization as a member-at-large.

DAR Legacy Commemorative plaque honoring Ferguson at the D.A.R. headquarters in Washington, D.C. In 2023, the Daughters of the American Revolution renamed its Washington, D.C.-based nursing scholarships as the "Daughters of the American Revolution – Lena Ferguson Scholarship" in honor of Ferguson and her contributions to the organization. President General Wright stated that Ferguson "was a pioneer, a change maker, and a woman who opened doors of opportunity for others."

In March 2023, U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley released a statement celebrating Ferguson's formal recognition by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Personal life and death She was married to Corporal James H. Ferguson, an officer in the United States Marine Corps.