Civil rights leader Dorothy Height was born in Richmond, Virginia on March 24, 1912. Height attended New York University where she earned her B.A. degree in education and her M.A. degree in psychology. She was hired as a social worker with the New York City Welfare Department. In 1937, she became active with the National Council of Negro Women and then became president of the organization in 1957 and held that position for more than forty years. During the Civil Rights Movement, Height helped organize the March on Washington. Height fought for equal rights for African Americans and women throughout her life. She served as a consultant on African affairs to the secretary of state and on the President's Committee on the Status of Women. She received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the NAACP Spingarn Award. Height passed away on April 20, 2010 at age 98.