Ophelia Egypt

Ophelia Settle Egypt (1903 – 1984) brought information on family planning to her Southeast Washington, D.C. community, empowering women to take control over their lives and futures. She earned her BA from Howard University in 1925 and a MA in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1928. After returning to Washington, D.C. she was employed as an instructor and later professor at Howard University. Egypt worked closely with the D.C. Juvenile Court and was named Executive Director of the Ionia R. Whipper Home for unwed mothers in 1952. She continued to advocate for access to birth control and women’s rights as the first Director of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. She described Anacostia as a close-knit Black community.

In 1977, the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum’s Board of Directors voted to include Egypt’s portrait in “Phil Ratner’s Washington,” an exhibition honoring current and former Anacostia residents who contributed to the civic life of the community.