1895 – Donaldina Cameron

At the tender age of 23, Donaldina arrived at the Occidental Mission Home for Girls as a sewing teacher. Two years later, without any prior experience, she became the superintendent. Little did she realize that the next forty years would find her dashing through alleys and across rooftops to save thousands of Chinese girls from indentured servitude and human trafficking. Although her life was threatened by those whose profits were hampered by her success, she continued rescuing and educating the girls victimized by violence and abuse.

A great challenge for the Home came on April 18th, 1906, when the great San Francisco earthquake and fire woke the girls in the early morning. Although the Home withstood the initial shaking, it was ultimately destroyed by dynamite as the city attempted to stop the fire from spreading. Donaldina and all the girls found safety in the East Bay while the Home was rebuilt in the same location at 920 Sacramento Street, where it still stands today.

Donaldina retired from the Home in 1934, and in 1942 it was renamed the Donaldina Cameron House. By the time of her death in 1968, Donaldina had become a “national icon” and is credited with helping 3,000 girls escape brutal enslavement.