Haynes-Lofton Family

The daughter of William S. Lofton (March 2, 1862-March 1, 1919) and Lavinia Dey (d. June 1922), Martha Euphemia Haynes (September 11, 1890-July 25, 1980) lived her entire life in Washington, DC. Euphemia Haynes devoted her adult life to education. Highly motivated and ambitious, Euphemia excelled in school from a young age. Euphemia received a BA in psychology with coursework in mathematics from Smith College (1914). Her graduate studies led to a masters degree in education from the University of Chicago (1930) and a doctorate in mathematics from Catholic University of America (1943). Euphemia was the first African-American women to earn a Ph. D. in mathematics in the country. Dr. Euphemia Haynes is perhaps most well known as a member of the District of Columbia Board of Education from 1960 to 1968. Euphemia married Dr. Harold Appo Haynes (1889-1978) in 1917. Euphemia and Harold grew up in the same neighborhood and knew each other as teenagers. Like Euphemia, Harold devoted his life to education in the District of Columbia. He received an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania (1910), a masters degree in Education from the University of Chicago (1930), and a doctorate in education from New York University (1946). Harold and Euphemia remained pillars of the middle-class African-American community in the District of Columbia. Dr. Harold Haynes died in 1978 at 89 years old. Two years later, on July 25, 1980, Dr. Euphemia Haynes died. The couple had no children. Dr. Euphemia Haynes designated $700,000 for the Education School at the Catholic University of America in her will. The University created the Euphemia Haynes Chair.