In March 1913, the Women's suffrage march occurred, and the United States lost one of the most prolific freedom fighters the country has ever seen, when Harriet Tubman died in New York. In May, Samuel Owensby, a Black man in Hogansville, Georgia was lynched near the local jail, after which his body was riddled with bullets. The nation's justice system condoned lynching in both southern and northern parts of the country. This violence was so entrenched in the United States that one report called the record of lynchings that year a "small number" based on a 13% decrease from the year prior. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has stayed on par with having its landmark celebrations coincide with major historical events in the United States. The Sorority's Golden [50th] Anniversary was no exception. The celebration occurred in 1963, the same year as the infamous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Delta members vowed commitment to, and participation in the march, and came out in very large numbers. In addition Delta Sigma Theta 10th National President Dorothy Height, the driving force behind the march, was the only woman to sit on the Speakers' Platform. 1963 also marked the Centennial Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. The Golden Anniversary Celebration was not about resting on the laurels and past accomplishments of Delta Sigma Theta, for they all knew there was much work to be done. The Golden Anniversary Celebration was, however, about "New Beginnings" which is why the theme "The Past is Prologue" was chosen. At the Golden Anniversary Luncheon held January 12, 1963, President John F. Kennedy addressed the membership and recognized, "The Extraordinary contributions that this Sorority has made...his admiration for what [they've] done, and [his] appreciation to [them] as President and [Deltas'] service to the country." Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas also addressed the membership during the Golden Anniversary Celebration in 1963 at a reception held January 13, 1963. In addition, Founders Osceola McCarthy Adams, Winona Cargile Alexander, Ethel Cuff Black, Bertha Pitts Campbell, Myra Davis Hemmings, Jimmie Bugg Middleton, Eliza Pearl Shippen, Florence Letcher Toms, Wertie Blackwell Weaver, and Madree Penn White were in attendance. Soror Mary Elizabeth Vrooman wrote "Shaped to its Purpose" a 50-year history of Delta Sigma Theta, which was published in 1965.