African American teacher, a leader of women, adviser to American presidents and a powerful champion of racial equality.

Alone in the cotton fields of Mayesville, South Carolina, Mary McLeod beheld a vision which demanded her entire life. Her parents Samuel and Patsy McLeod, were former slaves; Mary was the 15th of 17 children. When she was 11 years old, she entered a Presbyterian mission school. Later she attended Scotia Seminary, a school for African American girls in Concord, N.C., graduating in 1893. While there she met some of the people with whom she would work so closely. Though she was serious minded, it did not prevent her from being a lively dancer and developing a lasting fondness for music. Always alert and flamboyant, she was popular and the acknowledged leader of her classmates. A career in education Mary had dreams of becoming a missionary in Africa; however she was unable to pursue this ambition. She opted instead to become an instructor at the Presbyterian Mission School in her home town of Mayesville in 1896. Later she became an instructor at Haines Institute in Agusta, Ga., from 1896-1897. While she was an instructor at Kindell Instute in Sumpter, S.C., she met Albertus Bethune, whom she later married. With only $1.50 and five students, Bethune opened Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro girls 1904,on what use to be the city dump in Daytona Beach. There was little equipment.  Crates were used for desks and charcoal took the place of pencils. Ink came from crushed elderberries. Bethune, along with her pupils, baked pies and made ice cream to sell to nearby construction gangs. In time she began to seek financial aid in earnest. In 1912 she interested James M. Gamble of the Proctor and Gamble Company, who contributed generously to the school. Gamble served as Chairman of its board of trustees until his death.