Amy Surginer Northrop
Amy Surginer Northrop (1905–2010) was an American cosmetologist, businessperson, entrepreneur, and activist.
Early life
Surginer was born in Dixiana, West Columbia, South Carolina, in 1905.[1] Northrop attended grade school in Dixiana, South Carolina, alongside St. Ann Episcopal School.[2] She attended Allen University, where she obtained her bachelor's degree in business.[3] After graduating, Northrop continued her education at the Manhattan Trade School.[4] The Manhattan Trade School instilled values in women, equipping these women for successful job searches.[5]
Post graduation
After graduation, Northrop worked in beauty shops in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.[3] She later moved back to Columbia, South Carolina, in 1935 to establish Amy's Beauty Shop. She hosted the first clinic for the South Carolina State Cosmetology Association in 1936.[1] Two years later, in 1938, she became a charter member of the Columbia Citywide Cosmetology Association.[3] As a charter member, she negotiated the affiliation of the Columbia Citywide Cosmetology Association with the National Beauty Culturist League in 1941.[3] Northrop was also a state inspector for South Carolina, assessing beauty shops.[6] Along with developing, in 1982, the citywide cosmetology association.[7]
Public service
In 1943, Northrop fundraised for the Good Samaritan Waverly Hospital.[3] She supported the meeting of the Southern Negro Youth Congress, featuring W.E.B. Du Bois, in 1946.[3] She also founded the Gamma Epsilon Sorority in 1947, a chapter of the Alpha Chi Pi Omega Sorority.[8] Of all of these contributions to her community, she also held a life membership in the NCNW, otherwise known as the National Council of Negro Women.[4] She was married and developed a scholarship with her and her husband's name recognized at Allen University.[2] Northrop was a constituent of Mount Pisgah AME Church[1]
Northrop was a civil rights activist; in the 1950s-60s, she joined civil rights activist John H. McCray as a member of the South Carolina Progressive Democrats. In 1974, Amy Northrop was awarded the S.C. State Cosmetologist Association's Women of the Year.[4] She was also inducted into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame and honored by the Columbia mayor, being awarded a key to the city.[1] In addition, she secured the purchase of the State Cosmetology Headquarters and the beauticians association building in the city.[9] The honorable James Clyburn gave a tribute to Amy Surginer Northrop before the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005 for her 100th birthday. Amy Surginer Northrop died in 2010, aged 105.[3] Family-related: after her passing in 2010, her niece and son are specified as alive.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Amy Surginer Northrop". South Carolina African American History Calendar. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- 1 2 "Congressional Record". www.congress.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "2023-2024 Bill 5075: Amy G. Surginer Northrop - South Carolina Legislature Online". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Blog | ArticleSC African American History Calendar: August Honoree - Amy Surginer Northrop". www.knowitall.org. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ Vocational Summary. Federal Board for Vocational Education.
- ↑ "2023-2024 Bill 5075 Text of Previous Version (Feb. 13, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online". www.scstatehouse.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ Deas-Moore, Vennie (2000). Columbia, South Carolina. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-0665-4.
- ↑ "Gamma Epsilon History". GEAA. Retrieved April 24, 2026.
- ↑ "SC African American History Calendar: August Honoree - Amy Surginer Northrop | Stories | July 29, 2021 | South Carolina ETV". www.scetv.org. Retrieved June 19, 2026.