Dorothy Boggess, a 108-year-old D.C. resident, is humble. But don’t let that fool you. She’s accomplished so much in her life over more than a century.
Boggess is a Congressional Gold Medal recipient who was one of the first African American typing clerks in the War Department’s segregated typing pool during World War II. Her job brought her to D.C. in 1941, and she received the Rosie the Riveter award last year.
Born in Kentucky in 1917, Boggess also received an honorary doctorate from Kentucky State University.
News4 asked Boggess how she has lived so long.
“Well, by exercise, socializing, and main thing – walking. I can’t say the diet, because I don’t eat. I probably like sweets too much,” she said.
After her time at the War Department, Boggess dedicated her life to service, first working as a social worker. She remains active in her church and sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She has written books, including one about her husband, to whom she was married for 73 years.
Though Boggess lives in D.C., her impact reached Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who gave her a special honor in October.
“I said, why would he want to meet me? Because I can’t even vote for him. I’m not in Maryland. But he was so personable,” she said.
News4 asked what about how society has changed over her lifetime sticks out to her.
“People think I should be able to give some advice to young people, but I said, young people are so different. Everything’s so different now,” she said. “But my main advice to people is just: exercise, walking and to be socializing. I think that’s the main thing to keep you going.”
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