Persona

Napper, Berenice

Berenice Norwood Napper, wife of Alver W. Napper, and daughter of Rev. James O. Norwood and Mrs. Norwood. Native to Norwalk, Connecticut, she was one in a family of six children and went on herself to be the mother of two children, Patricia and Alver Jr.

Mrs. Napper was a 1940 graduate of Howard University Conservatory of Music and an assistant to the Dean of Women there as well. She went on to later become a teacher, lecturer, and publicist. Heavily involved in her community, she accomplished much by helping with election campaigns and becoming involved with several organizations. She was executive director of Negro activities of the Greenwich Board of Recreation, a playground supervisor for the South Norwalk board of education, executive secretary of the Urban League in White Plains, NY, specialist and field secretary for the National Office of the NAACP, a social worker for the Connecticut Welfare Department, and claims examiner and supervisor for the unemployment division of the Connecticut Department of Labor. She was also Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, a charter member of the Connecticut chapter of Jack and Jill, and founder of the Greenwich Women's Civic Club.

She was also the director for many musical organizations: the Connecticut Chordsmen of Greenwich; the West Main Street Community Center Choral Group; the Crispus Attucks Mens Glee Club; and the First Baptist Church Choir. She was an instructor in piano and voice as well as choir director and organist for St. Francis A.M.E. Zion Church in Rochester, NY.

She was active in many civic organizations in Norwalk and other parts of New England through the Greenwich Planned Parenthood Association, Council of Churchwomen, and in the League of Women Voters. She was a vice-chairman and field organizer for the Republican Party in Connecticut, and also was the first director at the Crispus Attucks Community Center in Greenwich.