“First Lady of the Struggle”

🌟 Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955)

Mary McLeod Bethune (the educator, activist, and founder of Bethune-Cookman University) was affectionately nicknamed “The First Lady of the Struggle” because of her lifelong work for civil rights, education, and equality for Black Americans.

Early Life

Born July 10, 1875, in Mayesville, South Carolina, the 15th of 17 children of formerly enslaved parents, Samuel and Patsy McLeod. As a child, she worked in the cotton fields but had a deep hunger for education. She became the only child in her family to attend school, walking miles each day to attend a mission school run by the Presbyterian Board of Missions.

Education & Early Teaching

She attended Scotia Seminary (now Barber-Scotia College) in North Carolina, graduating in 1893. Then studied at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago (1894–95) with the hope of becoming a missionary. She was not accepted for foreign mission work, but she turned her energy toward education in the U.S. Married Albertus Bethune in 1898; they had one son, Albert McLeod Bethune.

Founding of the School

In 1904, with just $1.50 and five little girls, she started the Daytona (as in Daytona Beach, Florida) Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls, the seed that later grew into Bethune–Cookman University. She repurposed crates for desks, ink from elderberries, and faith as her foundation. Her motto: “Invest in the human soul. Who knows, it might be a diamond in the rough.”

Leadership & Activism

Mary expanded the school through fundraising, gaining support from philanthropists like John D. Rockefeller and James Gamble of Procter & Gamble. In 1923, orchestrated the merger with Cookman Institute (Jacksonville), creating a co-ed institution. Served as president of Bethune–Cookman College for decades, one of the few women of her era to lead such an institution.

National & International Influence

Civil Rights and Politics: Close friend and advisor to Eleanor Roosevelt. Served as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Black Cabinet”, influencing policies for African Americans during the New Deal.

Founding Organizations: Founded the National Council of Negro Women (1935), which unified Black women’s organizations nationwide. Co-founded the United Negro College Fund (1944). United Nations: In 1945, she was the only African American woman at the founding conference of the United Nations in San Francisco.

Legacy

Died May 18, 1955, in Daytona Beach. Thousands attended her funeral. Her home on the Bethune–Cookman campus is now a National Historic Landmark. Honored with a statue in Washington, D.C. — she is the first Black American to represent a state (Florida) in the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall. Her legacy lives on in education, women’s leadership, and civil rights.

✨ One of her most famous lines, written in her “Last Will and Testament” to America, was:

“I leave you love. I leave you hope. I leave you the challenge of developing confidence in one another. I leave you a thirst for education. I leave you respect for the use of power. I leave you faith. I leave you racial dignity. I leave you a desire to live harmoniously with your fellow man. I leave you finally a responsibility to our young people.”

History of Bethune–Cookman University (Daytona Beach, FL)

Early Beginnings (1904–1920s)

In 1904, Mary McLeod Bethune founded the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls with just $1.50 and five students.  Initially housed in a rented building, the school used makeshift furniture and repurposed materials to operate in modest conditions.  By 1916, it evolved into the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute, gaining Methodist affiliation. 

Merger, Accreditation & Expansion (1920s–1940s)

In 1923, the school merged with Cookman Institute (established in 1872 in Jacksonville, the first higher education institution for Black students in Florida) and became co-educational. The Methodist Church affiliation was formalized during this process.    The merger wasn’t finalized until 1925, forming the Daytona-Cookman Collegiate Institute.    By 1931, the institution gained accreditation as a junior college and officially renamed itself Bethune–Cookman College, honoring its founder.  In 1941, it launched its first four-year degree programs (liberal arts, teacher education), becoming a full-fledged four-year college. 

Growth, Leadership & University Status (1940s–2000s)

Mary McLeod Bethune served as president until 1942, briefly resumed in 1946–47, before handing over to Richard V. Moore, Sr., who led significant academic expansion (adding majors like music, pre-med, physical education, etc.) and achieved full accreditation in 1970.  From 1975 to 2004, under President Oswald P. Bronson, the number of programs grew significantly.  In 2006, the university introduced its first master’s program in transformational leadership.  Finally, on February 14, 2007, the institution officially became Bethune–Cookman University. 

Heritage Structures & Legacy

The campus includes significant historic sites: White Hall (built 1915) houses administrative offices and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was rededicated after renovations in 2012.  The Mary McLeod Bethune Home, her residence from 1913 until her death, is now a museum and a designated U.S. National Historic Landmark. 

Legacy & Impact

Bethune-Cookman is a charter member of the United Negro College Fund, co-founded by Dr. Bethune.  Since 1943, the university has graduated over 19,000 students, many of whom have excelled in arts, sciences, government, and beyond.  Today, it offers 39 undergraduate and 6 graduate degree programs, all in the spirit of personalized teaching and community service. 

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