Ada S. McKinley facts for kids

Ada Sophia Dennison McKinley (born June 26, 1868 – died August 25, 1952) was an important American educator. She also helped start a special kind of community center called a settlement house in Chicago, Illinois. She founded the South Side Settlement House. This organization was later renamed Ada S. McKinley Community Services to honor her. Today, it is still a very big social service group in Chicago.

Ada S. McKinley's Early Life and Schooling

Ada Sophia Dennison McKinley grew up in Texas. She was born in Galveston in 1868. This was during a time called Reconstruction, when the United States was rebuilding after the Civil War. Her family later moved to Corpus Christi.

Ada went to Prairie View College and Tillotson Missionary College. After finishing school, she became a teacher in Texas. In 1887, she married William McKinley, who was a dentist. They later moved north to Chicago.

Joining Women's Clubs and Politics

In Chicago, Ada McKinley became well-known in social and political groups. She was part of the women's club movement. This was a time when women joined clubs to work for social change and improve their communities. Ada was a key member of the Phillis Wheatley Club.

In 1916, she worked as a secretary for a Republican group in Chicago. This group supported Charles Evans Hughes for president. She worked with other important African-American women from Chicago. These included Ella Berry and Ida B. Wells-Barnett.

During World War I, Ada McKinley helped soldiers and sailors. She was the main host at the "War Camp Club." The Chicago Urban League organized this club. It offered social services to soldiers and sailors returning from the war. The War Camp Club is seen today as an early example of recreational therapy for troops.

Starting the South Side Settlement

In 1919, Ada McKinley started the "Soldiers and Sailors Club." She wanted to help African-American soldiers returning from World War I. After a difficult time in Chicago called the Chicago race riot of 1919, she showed great courage. She marched with white settlement house workers. These included famous people like Jane Addams and Harriet Vittum. This march showed that people of different races could work together.

In 1926, McKinley changed the name of her organization to the South Side Settlement House. She became its president and main leader. In the 1940s, the organization grew and moved. It found a new home in the community center of the Ida B. Wells Homes. The South Side Settlement was special because it worked closely with the people living in the Wells Homes.

Ada S. McKinley's Legacy

In 1949, the South Side Settlement was renamed the Ada S. McKinley Community House. This was done to honor her amazing work. In 1952, Ada McKinley helped lay the first stone for the organization's new building. It was located on 34th Street in Bronzeville. She passed away just a few hours later from a brain hemorrhage.

Remembering Ada McKinley

In the 1990s, people found that Ada McKinley's gravestone was in bad condition. It was in Glenwood, Illinois. So, Ada S. McKinley Community Services arranged for her to be reburied. She was moved to the Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago. Her husband and son were also reburied with her. Her monument is next to the monument for Chicago mayor Harold Washington. When her monument was dedicated, the Tuskegee Airmen flew over. They were famous African-American pilots.

As of 2020, Ada S. McKinley Community Services, Inc. is still very active. It runs over 70 programs in the Chicago area. It also has locations in Wisconsin and Indiana. The organization helps many people and has a large budget. Jamal Malone is currently the CEO.

Ada McKinley also has a building named after her. The Ada S. McKinley Senior Apartments are operated by the Chicago Housing Authority. They are in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood.