M ARY M C L EOD B ETHUNE “I believe that the greatest hope for the development of my race lies in training our women thoroughly and practically.”

E ARLY L IFE Mary was born on July 10 th 1875 Her parents were former slaves that made money as sharecroppers. When she was young she really wanted to learn to read and write. She attended a school for only African Americans.

E DUCATION She graduated from Scotia Seminary school in Mary studied education at Moody Bible Institute. She wanted to be a missionary and go to Africa, but she was told that black missionaries were not needed.

C AREER Taught at many schools: Presbyterian Mission School in Mayesville in 1896 Haines Institute in Augusta, Ga., in Kindell Institute in Sumpter, S.C., in Decided to open her own school

D AYTONA L ITERARY AND I NDUSTRIAL T RAINING S CHOOL FOR N EGRO G IRLS Mary Bethune believed that education provided to key to racial advancement. Opened in 1904 in Daytona, FL and only used $ 1.50 to do so. Had 6 students, 5 girls and Mary’s son. To raise money the community made baked goods and sold them to construction workers.

The school’s first desks and benches were made out of crates and many items that were needed in the classroom were made or received through charity. By 1910 the school had 102 students attending it.

D AYTONA N ORMAL AND I NDUSTRIAL I NSTITUTE Renamed in 1920 It started teaching the students how to be teachers because they needed more staff members to teach the students. 5:30 am to 9 pm

B ETHUNE -C OOKMAN Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute combined with Cookman Institute for Men. Became a college in 1941

P UBLIC L EADER National Association of Colored Women National Council of Negro Women National Youth Administration FDR appointed Mary as director of African American affairs in National Youth Administration Mary was also special advisor to FDR on minority affairs.

H ONORS Haitian Medal of Honor and Merit (1949) Only black woman present at the founding of the United Nations representing the NAACP

D EATH Mary McLeod Bethune died on May 18 th 1955 She is buried on campus of the Bethune-Cookman University