Mrs. Bertha Par Whedbee has the distinction of being the first Negro female patrolwomen with the Louisville police, and in Kentucky.  She was married for many years to Dr. Ellis Whedbee, a well-known and respected Negro physician in Louisville early in the 20th Century.   Although his efforts have been well documented, his wife, as was common, was not so much noticed.  Being “first” at something was not unusual for Mrs. Whedbee, however, as in 1901, already married, she was in the first class of six Negro women who were qualified to become kindergarten teachers by the Louisville Free Kindergarten Association.

  Despite her later decision to join the police department, Mrs. Whedbee was a mother first.   In May, 1919, upon learning that her 17 year old son, Ellis, had been arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct, she went to the Central Police Station.   (Allegedly, he was arrested as a robbery suspect and fought with the arresting officers.)  At the station, she allegedly threatened to kill the officers if they didn’t release the boy.  Instead, they arrested her.  The newspaper story described it as a “drama in two acts” – which the first act starring the son and “his mother in a heavy dramatic role” starring in the second.    The next week, young Ellis was fined $10 for disorderly conduct and his mother was given a $10 suspended fine.   In a final twist, Dr. Whedbee complained against the Stationkeeper concerning the arrests, but the result of his complaint was unknown.

Just three years later, on March 22, 1922, Mrs. Whedbee was appointed the first Negro policewoman, having lobbied hard for the position.   It was noted in the newspaper article about it that she had done social service work on behalf of Negro citizens during “the war” – World War I -  and that her duties would be focused on “protective work” for Negro women and girls.

In May, 1923, the two policewomen reportedly attended the annual meeting of the National Conference on Social Work, which focused on child welfare.   Mrs. Whedbee left the position in 1927, at the end of the mayor’s term, which was not uncommon.

In 1932, Mrs. Whedbee served as a delegate to the state Republican Convention  In the interim, it seems likely that she was busy with, and in fact, she remained active for many years in the Red Cross Hospital, located on Shelby Street, in which her physician husband was a founder.

In 1938, Mrs. Whedbee wrote a letter to the editor of the Courier-Journal, decrying the decision of the Louisville Police Department to eliminate the position of policewoman.  She detailed how important the role was, in effect, a social worker, and how the widespread sale of alcoholic liquors to young people, and the “menace of the public dance hall, and the poorly supervised moving picture theaters,” policewomen were more important now than ever.  She noted that these activities led to prostitution and were dangerous to young women.  She also noted that “there are things even a hardened criminal will not tell a policeman,” but might, perhaps, tell a policewoman.   However, it took another five years, 1943, for the Louisville Police to again hire policewomen, who would primarily be assigned to work with juveniles.

Soon thereafter, she and several other women spoke at a meeting of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Taxpayers’ League, suggesting that the League should demand reasons from the Mayor as to why the four policewomen had been dismissed.    (The story indicated she was the first, but in fact, she was the second female officer)

The Whedbee’s two boys, Prof. Ellis Whedbee and Melville Whedbee, were both committed to  teaching and enthusiastic leaders in recreational activities for Negro citizens.  In 1931, Prof. Whedbee was secured to manage a new city pool and to provide swimming lessons.

Sadly, for many years, Mrs. Whedbee, along with her husband, were both buried in unmarked graves in Louisville Cemetery.  Dr. Whedbee a graduate of Fisk University died in 1940.   Mrs. Whedbee continued active in the Women’s Auxiliary of the Red Cross hospital.  Her last appearance in the news was receiving a certificate of merit from the Louisville Urban League in 1959.  Mrs. Whedbee passed away in April, 1960, which her obit noting that she was “the City’s first Negro Policewoman and first Negro kindergarten teacher.”

As a result of a post in Kentucky Cop Stories, reprinted above, in November, 1918, the Whedbees received a joint grave marker as a result of a donation effort spearheaded by retired Louisville police officers.