Alexander, Sadie Tanner Mossell, 1898-1989

Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander (January 2, 1898 – November 1, 1989) was an American lawyer who was the first African-American to receive a Ph.D. in economics in the United States (1921), and the first woman to receive a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She was the first African-American woman to practice law in Pennsylvania, following in her father's footsteps. She was the first national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, serving from 1919 to 1923.

In 1946 she was appointed by Harry Truman to the President's Committee on Civil Rights. She was the first African-American woman appointed as Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia. She was President of John F. Kennedy Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (1963). In 1979, Jimmy Carter appointed her as chair of the White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA). She served on the board of the National Urban League for 25 years.