American soprano, born 3 September 1910 in Norfolk, Virginia and died 19 February 1996 in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Norfolk’s Dorothy Maynor was the first black artist to perform in Washington’s Constitution Hall, and sang at the presidential inaugurations of Harry S Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. She was one of the highest paid and highest praised opera singers in the world. Her recordings were best sellers and she frequently performed on radio programs. She graduated from Hampton Institute and even toured Europe with them.
In 1975, she became the first African-American to serve on the board of the famed Metropolitan Opera.