Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen facts for kids
Ariel Serena Hedges Bowen (born March 3, 1863 – died July 7, 1904) was an amazing African-American writer, a strong supporter of the temperance movement, and a music professor. She taught at Clark University in Atlanta during the late 1800s and early 1900s. People at the time thought she was "one of the foremost and best cultured women of her race." She was also a lifelong member of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ariel Serena Hedges was born in Newark, New Jersey. Her father, Charles Hedges, was a Presbyterian minister. He graduated from Lincoln University in 1869 and started churches in New York State. Her mother came from one of the oldest Presbyterian families in that state.
Ariel's grandfather was a bugler in the Mexican War. He was also part of the Guard of Honor when Lafayette visited the United States again.
Her family later moved to Pittsburgh. There, Ariel attended the Avery Institute and finished her studies. After that, her parents moved to Baltimore, where her father became a pastor.
Ariel went to high school in Springfield, Massachusetts. She graduated with honors in 1885. She also took a special course to become a teacher and passed her exams very well. She was even considered for a teaching job in Springfield.
Teaching at Tuskegee Institute
Later, Ariel was asked to teach History and English Language at the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. This famous school was led by Professor B. T. Washington. Ariel was very smart and could easily read Greek, Latin, and German.
Family Life and Career
In 1886, Ariel Hedges married Dr. J. W. E. Bowen. He worked at the Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. Ariel became a lifelong member of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
In 1893, she moved to Atlanta with her husband. They had four children together: one son and three daughters.
Music Professor and Writer
In 1895, Ariel Bowen became a Professor of Music at Clark University. She was a talented singer and played both the piano and the pipe organ very well. She also wrote about music, including a piece called Music in the Home.
Activism and Community Work
Ariel Bowen was also an important leader in the Southern Women's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.). This group worked to encourage people to live healthier lives and avoid alcohol. She wrote about important social issues, including a work called The Ethics of Reform. She also served as the state president for the Georgia W.C.T.U., No. 2.
Today, the Ariel Bowen Memorial United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, is named in her honor.
