HARRIS, Ethel Ramos

Ethel Ramos Harris was a Cape Verdean woman who was born in Newport, R.I. Her father was the captain of a merchant ship, and it's said she spent the first five years of her life onboard the ship. She is a world-renowned concert pianist, composer, vocalist and lecturer. Mrs. Harris won international scholarships for composition and has toured around the world. She's performed at almost all of the embassies in Washington, D.C. She was a guest at the White House four times as a soloist for former Vice President Barkley's wife, as a performer for former President Harry Truman, and to present her music to former First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt and Mamie Eisenhower.