Georgiana Rose Simpson was born in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 1865, the eldest daughter of David and Catherine Simpson. She attended public school in Washington, D.C., and later received teacher-training at Minor Normal School. Simpson began her teaching career in 1885, working within German immigrant communities. Her former teacher, Dr. Lucy Moten, encouraged her to continue her education and formally study German in college.
At the age of 41, Simpson enrolled at UChicago, driven by her interest in German language and literature, as well as French. As an African American woman, she faced significant racism and discrimination. Shortly after her arrival, white students refused to share a dormitory with her, forcing her to live off-campus. Despite these challenges, Simpson earned three degrees from UChicago: A Bachelor of Arts in 1911, a Master of Arts in 1920, and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1921 at the age of 55.
After completing her graduate studies, Simpson returned to Washington, D.C., where she taught at Dunbar High School before becoming a professor at Howard University. Throughout her life, she formed connections with notable figures such as abolitionist Frederick Douglass and worked alongside early Black feminist Anna J. Cooper, civil rights activist W. E. B. Du Bois, and other prominent Black intellectuals of her time. Georgiana Rose Simpson died in her home in Washington, D.C. at the age of 78 on January 27, 1944.
In 2017, University of Chicago students Asya Akça and Shae Omonijo led an effort to honor Simpson, the first African American woman to receive a Ph.D. from the university. They founded the Dr. Simpson Fund to install a bust of Simpson in the Reynolds Club. The guest list for the unveiling ceremony included former U.S. Senator Carol Moseley Braun, the first African American woman elected to the United States Congress from Illinois, and Loann Honesty King, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Central Region Historian and past Central Regional Director. Georgiana Simpson was a member of the Beta and Tau Omega Chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., during her time in Chicago. Dr. Georgiana Simpson’s legacy lives on… Gone but not forgotten!