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
 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
 Marys 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