Octavius Valentine Catto was an American educator, intellectual, and civil rights activist in Philadelphia. He became principal of male students at the Institute for Colored Youth, where he had also been educated. He was a member of a number of other civic, literary, patriotic and political groups, including the, the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia Library Company, 4th Ward Black Political Club, and the Union League Association. Catto’s facile mind was constantly active in expanding intellectual horizons, and saw political activity as a means to foster betterment for his people. He was largely responsible for the adoption of the ‘Bill of Rights’ for equal access to the public transportation in the city as was legislated in the Commonwealth in 1867 at Catto’s urging and activism.