George Washington University established the Dorothy I. Height Scholarship for Public Service and added a memorial stone bench to the Square 80 Park, an on-campus all women’s dormitory in honor of the civil rights leader's 99th birthday.

"Dr. Height's dedication to justice and service was a model for us all," Steven Knapp, the university president, said. "We are honored to celebrate her legacy with this campus memorial and scholarship."

The Hilltop

Dorothy Height

Height was the former president of the National Council of Negro Women and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and fought for civil rights and women's rights in the peak of the Civil Rights Movement.

In the 1960s, Height hosted "Wednesdays in Mississippi," during which busloads of northern White and Black women would travel to the southern state to organize Black and White Mississippi women to develop an understanding between the two groups.

In April 2010, Height died in Howard University Hospital.

Kelley Stokes, a graduate student at George Washington and a member of the Mu Beta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, told media representatives at GW that she appreciated the university honoring one of her personal heroes.

"It's exciting and encouraging to see the university honor the significant contributions of this incredible woman, in addition to providing access for students, scholars and the public to discover the tremendous impact of African-Americans throughout history," Stokes said.

Maya Rhodan writes for The Hilltop, the Howard University student newspaper, which originally published this article.