Mary Mcleod Bethune 1875-1955
Mary McLeod Bethune Born July 10, 1875 in Mayesville, South Carolina
Early Life 15th child born to parents, former slaves, Patsy and Samuel McLeod Mary was the first child in her family to be born into freedom Born with her eyes open Mary grew up on a farm called a homestead where she tended the vegetable garden and also picked cotton. One day while playing she spotted a book, but was told to put it down because African Americans should not read. From then on she had the desire to learn to read.
Student A teacher was wanting to teach African American students and she chose Mary Walked 5 miles to school She learned reading, writing, and arithmetic Mary helped her family members who did not know how to read She read the Bible to her grandmother Kept track of her father’s cotton sales
More School Mary finished school in one year!! She wanted to learn more but had no money to go to another school Mary received a scholarship to attend Scotia Seminary in Concord, North Carolina Graduated in July 1894 Went to Moody Bible College Institute in Chicago for one year-she returned home to Mayesville to become a teacher
Mary’s Family Mary taught at Kindell Institute in Sumter, Georgia Met Albert Bethune and married him in 1899 They moved to Savannah, Georgia and had a son in 1899 She and her son soon moved to Florida so Mary could return to teaching
Dreams. . . Mary wanted to start a school In Daytona, Florida she began a school with $1.50 The school opened in 1904 with only four students Mary was given $250 from a man who respected her goal With the money, she built a school called Faith Hall Bethune College was started in 1906 In 1925 Bethune College joined with Cookman where Mary became president of the College
What is Mary McLeod Bethune remembered for? She was born with her eyes open Learning to read even though she was an African American Started a school with $1.50 and only 4 students Began a college for girls Joined First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt in the fight to have equal rights for all