Ophelia DeVore
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Ophelia DeVore | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | February 28, 2014 | (aged 91)
Nationality | American |
Education | Hunter College High School |
Alma mater | New York University |
Occupation(s) | model, entrepreneur, publisher |
Known for | The Grace Del Marco Agency |
Spouse(s) | Harold Carter, Vernon Mitchell |
Ophelia DeVore (August 12, 1921 – February 28, 2014) was an American businesswoman, publisher, and model.
Life
Emma Ophelia DeVore was born on August 12, 1922, in
Her father owned a road contracting business and her mother was an educator and musician. Her father mentored her in communicating well with people, as her mother stressed proper education, appearance, and etiquette.DeVore attended segregated schools until she was nine, and then moved to
DeVore graduated from Hunter College High School and went on to New York University. There, she majored in mathematics and minored in languages.
In 1941, she married Harold Carter. He worked as a firefighter while she studied fashion, public relations, and advertising. Together, they had five children.
DeVore married Vernon Mitchell in 1968, who died in 1972.
In 1989, she was featured in Brian Lanker's I Dream a World, a collection of portraits and biographies of black women who helped change America.
In 2004, along with Wesley Tann, she was honored by the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Arts Xchange, Inc. for her contributions to fashion and entertainment.[3]
DeVore was the CEO and publisher of
The Grace Del Marco Agency
Ophelia DeVore began modeling at the age of 16. As a fair-skinned person of
In the agency's early days, it was a stepping stone for countless household names;
Her agency's shows took place in churches, college campuses, and in the ballrooms of the Diplomat and
The initial impact took place at many of the Cannes Film Festivals during the 1950s and 1960s. DeVore also seized media for business equity by co-hosting ABC's Spotlight on Harlem. Her intensity to "make it" demanded relentless dedication and work ethic; enough to cause her a heart attack while still in her twenties.
In the agency's later years, it was renamed Ophelia DeVore Associates, and then the Ophelia DeVore Organization. In 1985, DeVore broadened her enterprise globally to include
Philosophy
DeVore always maintained a role as activist for non-White inclusion in the fashion industry and creating universally inclusive concepts designed for excellence.[5]
References
- ^ New York Times, March 13, 2014.
- ^ a b "Ophelia DeVore, Pioneer Of "Black Is Beautiful Movements," Dead At 93". Black America Web. 2014-03-06. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
- ISBN 978-1-350-13846-9.
- PMID 21114069.
- ISSN 0882-228X.
Further reading
- Hester, K (2005). Devore-Mitchell—writer, fashion model, entrepreneur.
- Miles, J. H., Davis, J. J., Ferguson-Roberts, S. E., and Giles, R. G. (2001). Almanac of African American Heritage. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall Press.
- Potter, J. (2002). African American Firsts. New York, NY: Kensington Publishing Corp.
- South Carolina African American History Calendar (1992).
- "Black Voice News Online - Fashion Institute of Technology and Fashion Arts Xchange Honor Ophelia DeVore". Black Voice News Online. 2004-02-25. Archived from the original on 2011-08-09. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
External links
- Ophelia Devore-Mitchell's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project
- Oph elia DeVore-Mitchell dies at 92, article in the NY Times.