Bertha Par Simmons Whedbee (1876 - 1960) was an activist, suffragist, and first African American woman to become a police officer in Louisville, Kentucky.
Whedbee was born as Bertha Par Simmons in West Virginia in 1879. [1] [2] She later became a kindergarten teacher, graduating from the first class of the Colored Kindergarten Association in 1901. [3] [2] [4] She married a physician, Ellis D. Whedbee, in 1898. [2] They moved to Louisville, Kentucky and had four children together. [5] Whedbee became involved in the women's suffrage movement in Louisville. [6]
In 1919 Bertha Whedbee was inspired to become a police officer herself after local police officers arrested her 17-year-old son, Ellis Jr, as a robbery suspect. [2] Later, the officers charged Ellis with disorderly conduct and a $10 fine. [2] Whedbee didn't believe the charges and confronted the police about the charges, where she was then arrested and charged with a $10 fine as well. [2] [7] Bertha's fine was later suspended, but the fine for her son was upheld. [8] [9] The Whedbees filed a suit against the police station master. [2] On March 3, 1922, she presented a petition that she be appointed a police officer. [10] Whedbee went on to become the first African American woman to work for the Louisville Metro Police Department when she started on March 22, 1922. [11] [12] [10] Her mandate was to work only among other African Americans in the community. [10] She worked on the police force until 1927 when she resigned in protest when the other African American officers were dismissed by a new city administration. [13]
Bertha Whedbee died in 1960. [14] She was buried in Louisville Cemetery. [1] There were no headstones for either Bertha or Ellis Sr. Whedbee until they were installed in 2018. [15]
Bertha Par Simmons Whedbee (1876 - 1960) was an activist, suffragist, and first African American woman to become a police officer in Louisville, Kentucky.
Whedbee was born as Bertha Par Simmons in West Virginia in 1879. [1] [2] She later became a kindergarten teacher, graduating from the first class of the Colored Kindergarten Association in 1901. [3] [2] [4] She married a physician, Ellis D. Whedbee, in 1898. [2] They moved to Louisville, Kentucky and had four children together. [5] Whedbee became involved in the women's suffrage movement in Louisville. [6]
In 1919 Bertha Whedbee was inspired to become a police officer herself after local police officers arrested her 17-year-old son, Ellis Jr, as a robbery suspect. [2] Later, the officers charged Ellis with disorderly conduct and a $10 fine. [2] Whedbee didn't believe the charges and confronted the police about the charges, where she was then arrested and charged with a $10 fine as well. [2] [7] Bertha's fine was later suspended, but the fine for her son was upheld. [8] [9] The Whedbees filed a suit against the police station master. [2] On March 3, 1922, she presented a petition that she be appointed a police officer. [10] Whedbee went on to become the first African American woman to work for the Louisville Metro Police Department when she started on March 22, 1922. [11] [12] [10] Her mandate was to work only among other African Americans in the community. [10] She worked on the police force until 1927 when she resigned in protest when the other African American officers were dismissed by a new city administration. [13]
Bertha Whedbee died in 1960. [14] She was buried in Louisville Cemetery. [1] There were no headstones for either Bertha or Ellis Sr. Whedbee until they were installed in 2018. [15]