Delia Rogers (maiden name: Delia Elizabeth Saunders) was born around 1831 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Her mother’s name was probably Ruth, while her father’s name is unknown. The family moved to Massachusetts by 1855, and Delia was probably living in Philadelphia by 1865. On April 30, 1865, she married chemistry professor Robert E. Rogers in Philadelphia’s St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. She used her position as the wife of a prominent scientist and physician to play an active role in Philadelphia’s civic life. She served as a “lady officer” for the Drinking Fountain Society, helping to raise money for public fountains and watering troughs throughout the city. In 1875, the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania appointed her to its newly-created Board of Women Visitors, which “assist[ed] the Managers in the administration of the housekeeping and nursing.” She also served on the Women’s Auxiliary Committee for the Fairmont Park Art Association, which raised money to build a statue of Union General George Gordon Meade. Delia died on January 9, 1883, after a “brief illness” and is buried in Philadelphia’s Laurel Hill Cemetery.