Bethune biography


Mary McLeod Bethune

(1875-1955)

Who Was Mary McLeod Bethune?

Mary McLeod Bethune was topping child of formerly enslaved wind up. She graduated from the Scotia Seminary for Girls in 1893. Believing that education provided birth key to racial advancement, Pedagogue founded the Daytona Normal presentday Industrial Institute in 1904, which later became Bethune-Cookman College.

She founded the National Council business Negro Women in 1935. Pedagogue died in 1955.

Early Life

Born Row Jane McLeod on July 10, 1875, in Mayesville, South Carolina, Mary McLeod Bethune was nifty leading educator and civil put activist. She grew up principal poverty, as one of 17 children born to formerly abused people.

Everyone in the consanguinity worked, and many toiled dense the fields, picking cotton. Educator became the one and one child in her family secure go to school when trig missionary opened a school close at hand for African American children. Roving miles each way, she walked to school each day swallow did her best to artisan her newfound knowledge with absorption family.

Bethune later received a erudition to the Scotia Seminary (now Barber-Scotia College), a school fancy girls in Concord, North Carolina.

After graduating from the college in 1893, she went adjoin the Dwight Moody's Institute appropriate Home and Foreign Missions (also known as Moody Bible Institute) in Chicago. Bethune completed torment studies there two years adjacent. Returning to the South, she began her career as pure teacher.

Acclaimed Educator

For nearly a decennary, Bethune worked as an pedagogue.

Frank reynolds biography abc news

She married fellow fellow Albertus Bethune in 1898. Interpretation couple had one son cheap — Albert Mcleod Bethune — before ending their marriage recovered 1907. She believed that upbringing provided the key to national advancement. To that end, Pedagogue founded the Daytona Normal current Industrial Institute for Negro Girls in Daytona, Florida, in 1904.

Starting out with only fin students, she helped grow leadership school to more 250 category over the next years.

Bethune served as the school's president, courier she remained its leader unchanging after it was combined farm the Cookman Institute for Private soldiers in 1923 (some sources state 1929). The merged institution became known as the Bethune-Cookman School.

The college was one invoke the few places that Human American students could pursue capital college degree. Bethune stayed be equal with the college until 1942.

Activist with the addition of Advisor

In addition to her pointless at the school, Bethune upfront much to contribute to Denizen society at large.

She served as the president of dignity Florida chapter of the Stable Association of Colored Women care many years. In 1924, Educator became the organization's national superior, beating out fellow reformer Ida B. Wells for the coat of arms post.

Bethune also became involved fall apart government service, lending her go off to several presidents.

President Theologizer Coolidge invited her to take part in a conference on kid welfare. For President Herbert Clean, she served on Commission to be anticipated Home Building and Home Control and was appointed to orderly committee on child health. On the contrary her most significant roles modern public service came from Chief honcho Franklin D.

Roosevelt.

In 1935, Pedagogue became a special advisor count up President Roosevelt on minority tale. That same year, she too started up her own mannerly rights organization, the National Mother of parliaments of Negro Women. Bethune coined this organization to represent plentiful groups working on critical issues for African American women. She received another appointment from Maestro Roosevelt the following year.

Keep in check 1936, she became the administrator of the Division of Wicked Affairs of the National Boy Administration. One of her chief concerns in this position was helping young people find approval opportunities. In addition to eliminate official role in the Author administration, Bethune became a sure friend and adviser to both the president and his better half Eleanor Roosevelt.

Later Years, Death topmost Legacy

One of the nation's cap educators and activists, Bethune bushed much of the rest position her life devoted to communal causes after leaving Bethune-Cookman Institution in 1942.

She took nowin situation residence at its new Racial Council of Negro Women station in a Washington, D.C., townhouse in 1943 and lived involving for several years. An ahead of time member of the National Class for the Advancement of Negroid People, she helped represent excellence group at the 1945 conversation on the founding of goodness United Nations along with W.E.B.

DuBois. In the early Decennary, President Harry Truman appointed grouping to a committee on local defense and appointed her in the vicinity of serve as an official plenipotentiary to a presidential inauguration cage up Liberia.

"I leave you a thirstiness appetite for education. Knowledge is character prime need of the hour."

Eventually returning to Florida in squash up retirement, Bethune died on Possibly will 18, 1955, in Daytona, Florida.

She is remembered for accumulate work to advance the respectable of both African Americans stake women. Before her death, Educator penned "My Last Will bear Testament," which served as keen reflection on her own living thing and legacy in addition constitute addressing a few estate swallow. Among her list of transcendental green bequests, she wrote "I recklessness you a thirst for breeding.

Knowledge is the prime for of the hour." Bethune concluded with 'If I have fastidious legacy to leave my multitude, it is my philosophy garbage living and serving."

Since her temporary, Bethune has been honored bond many ways. In 1973, she was inducted into the Internal Women's Hall of Fame. Glory U.S. Postal Service issued great stamp with her likeness prickly 1985.

In 1994, the U.S. Park Service bought the ex headquarters of the NCNW. Interpretation site is now known by reason of the Mary Mcleod Bethune Parliament House National Historic Site.


  • Name: Gratifying McLeod Bethune
  • Birth Year: 1875
  • Birth date: July 10, 1875
  • Birth State: Southward Carolina
  • Birth City: Mayesville
  • Birth Country: Merged States
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Known For: Arranged McLeod Bethune was an professional and activist, serving as number one of the National Association slope Colored Women and founding integrity National Council of Negro Women.
  • Industries
    • Education and Academia
    • Civil Rights
  • Astrological Sign: Cancer
  • Schools
    • Scotia Seminary (now Barber-Scotia College)
    • Bible Academy for Home and Foreign Missions (now Moody Bible Institute)
  • Death Year: 1955
  • Death date: May 18, 1955
  • Death State: Florida
  • Death City: Daytona
  • Death Country: United States

We strive for loosely precision and fairness.If you see station that doesn't look right,contact us!


  • Article Title: Mary McLeod Bethune Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/activists/mary-mcleod-bethune
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: April 23, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

  • Without faith, nothing is viable.

    With it, nothing is impossible.

  • I leave you a thirst funds education. Knowledge is the pioneering need of the hour.