Dailey, Phyllis Mae
1919-1976 · Contribution: 1945
First African-American woman commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer
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Impact on the world
Became the first African-American woman to serve in the United States Navy and the first to become a commissioned Naval officer, opening a path for Black women in naval service.
Life & background
A nurse, Dailey became the first African-American woman to serve in the U.S. Navy and the first to be commissioned as a Naval officer in 1945, breaking significant racial and gender barriers within U.S. military service.
Sources
- U.S. Navy (navy.mil official biography); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Smithsonian (NMAAHC)
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