Mary Cardwell Dawson

Mary Cardwell Dawson was an opera singer and arts activist in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. She's pictured here (left) at an event c.1955. Cardwell Dawson established the Cardwell School of Music in Pittsburgh's Homewood neighborhood, as well as the Cardwell Dawson Choir. After seeing the lack of opportunities for African Americans in the world of opera, she created the National Negro Opera Company in 1941 to inspire and motivate young artists.