Raymond House

Raymond House was built in 1897, the same year Anita Florence Hemmings graduated after omitting mention of her African heritage. Beginning in 1940, Raymond housed the first openly African American student at Vassar: Dr. Beatrix McCleary Hamburg ’44, a light-skinned woman who regularly introduced herself by saying, “Hello. I’m Betty, I’m a Negro.” Over the next year, other Black students, including Dr. June Jackson Christmas ’45-44 and Camille Cottrell Espeut ’45-44, entered the College. Each lived in Raymond for a period of time while at Vassar.