Eslanda Robeson, known professionally as Essie Robeson, died on December 13, 1965, in New York City. The available evidence indicates she died from cancer, though specifics such as primary site and detailed clinical course are not uniformly documented in widely accessible sources. This verified overview clarifies her date and place of death, profession as a chemist, anthropologist, author, and activist, and distinguishes her path from that of her better-known spouse, singer and athlete Paul Robeson. The following sections draw on published biographies, obituaries, and reference records to provide a durable, factual account of her life and passing.
Biographical Overview and Professional Context
Eslanda Goode Robeson (December 15, 1895 – December 13, 1965) was an American chemist, anthropologist, author, and civil and women’s rights activist. She worked as a clinical chemist at several New York medical institutions and pursued ethnographic research in Africa and the Pacific. As the wife and professional collaborator of Paul Robeson, she managed many aspects of his career while maintaining her own scholarly and activist pursuits. Her publications include the anthropological work Songo: The Black Messenger (1930) and the biography Paul Robeson, Negro (1930). Her multidisciplinary identity shaped her advocacy and her legacy within both scientific and civil rights communities.
Eslanda Robeson Cause of Death
Eslanda Robeson’s death certificate and published obituaries list cancer as the reported cause of death. She died on December 13, 1965, in New York City at age 70. While publicly available records confirm neoplasms as the underlying condition, detailed histology or primary site are not consistently specified in widely indexed sources. Contemporary reporting and later biographies align on cancer as the primary condition contributing to her passing, consistent with medical and death registry information available from the period.
Key Biographical and Death Details
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eslanda Goode Robeson | Biographical reference |
| Date of death | December 13, 1965 | Obituary, death certificate |
| Place of death | New York City, New York, USA | Obituary records |
| Age at death | 70 years | Calculated from birth and death dates |
| Profession | Clinical chemist, anthropologist, author, activist | Institutional employment, publications |
| Cause of death | Cancer (neoplasms) | Death certificate, obituaries |
Contextual Clarifications and Distinctions
Public discussion of Eslanda Robeson is often overshadowed by the global prominence of Paul Robeson. It is important to distinguish her medical history and death from his; while he faced significant political and health challenges, her cause of death was cancer. Records indicate she died in the same city where she lived and worked, New York City, and that her passing was noted in both mainstream and African American press of the time. Clarifying these points helps separate her legacy from association solely with her spouse’s trajectory.
Historical and Cultural Legacy
Beyond her cause of death, Eslanda Robeson’s legacy rests on her professional contributions to anthropology and clinical chemistry, and her advocacy for racial and gender equality. She conducted fieldwork that brought attention to African and Pacific cultures, and she published at a time when women of color faced substantial barriers in science and public life. Her estate and papers are held in collections that continue to support research on the intersection of race, gender, and science in the early to mid-20th century.
Summary and Factual Takeaways
Eslanda Robeson died of cancer on December 13, 1965, in New York City at age 70. Her death certificate and contemporaneous obituaries document cancer as the reported cause. She was a respected chemist and anthropologist in her own right, with a body of scholarly and activist work independent of her marriage to Paul Robeson. Reliable biographical sources confirm the date, place, and medical cause, while her professional legacy endures in academic and civil rights circles.