MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE 1875 1955 EDUCATOR BETHUNE MARY MCLEOD 1875 1955 EDUCATION REFORM MOVEMENTS NEW DEAL AFRICAN AMERICANS AMERICAN CULTURE MARY BETHUNE MARY MCLEOD WAS BORN IN MAYESVILLE SOUTH CAROLINA SHE WAS THE 15TH OF 17 CHILDREN BORN TO FORMER SLAVES SHE ATTENDED SCOTIA SEMINARY FROM 1888 UNTIL 1894 AND THEN TAUGHT IN MISSION SCHOOLS IN FLORIDA AND GEORGIA SHE WAS MARRIED BRIEFLY TO ALBERTUS BETHUNE IN 1904 MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE OPENED A SCHOOL FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN DAYTONA BEACH FLORIDA THE SCHOOL MERGED WITH COOKMAN INSTITUTE AND BECAME A COEDUCATIONAL COLLEGE IN 1923 SIX YEARS LATER IT WAS RENAMED BETHUNE COOKMAN COLLEGE BETHUNE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE FROM 1923 UNTIL 1942 AND AGAIN FROM 1946 UNTIL 1947 SHE CREATED THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF NEGRO WOMEN IN 1935 AND SERVED AS ITS PRESIDENT UNTIL 1949 IN 1936 SHE ORGANIZED THE FEDERAL COUNCIL ON NEGRO AFFAIRS AND URGED PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT AND FIRST LADY ELEANOR ROOSEVELT TO WORK FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
