Clara Bancroft Beatley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clara Bancroft Beatley
|
|
|---|---|
.png) |
|
| Born | Clara Bancroft January 12, 1858 Shirley, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | October 20, 1923 (aged 65) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Language | English |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Bridgewater Normal School |
| Spouse | James Augustus Beatley |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents |
|
Clara Bancroft Beatley (born January 12, 1858 – died October 20, 1923) was an American educator, a speaker, and an author. She was also involved in women's clubs and worked for women's right to vote (a suffragist).
Clara came from a family of strong Unitarian beliefs. For many years, she was the principal of the school at the Church of the Disciples in Boston, Massachusetts.
Contents
Clara's Early Life and Schooling
Clara Bancroft was born in Shirley, Massachusetts, on January 12, 1858. Her father, Edmund Dana Bancroft, was from Pepperell, Massachusetts. He was a teacher when he was younger.
Clara's family were members of the Unitarian Church. Her father played the organ and led the choir at their church for 45 years. Her mother, Mary Park Morse, also came from Unitarian parents. Sadly, her mother died when Clara was young. Another woman, Phoebe Bridge Barrett, helped raise Clara and her three siblings.
After high school, Clara went to Bridgewater Normal School. This school is now called Bridgewater State University. She completed an advanced course there. Her family was very dedicated to their Unitarian faith. They believed it was important to be loyal to their church.
Clara's Career as an Educator
After finishing school, Clara taught in high schools in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Boston. When she was 25 and teaching in Cambridge, she visited the Church of the Disciples in Boston. She went to hear the preacher, Rev. James Freeman Clarke. She liked his sermons so much that she continued to attend that church.
In September 1893, Clara took charge of the Sunday school at the Church of the Disciples. She led the school for 15 years. She decided to call herself "Principal of the Disciples School." She felt this title made the work seem more important than just "Superintendent of the Sunday School."
Clara was a popular speaker. She often visited churches and women's groups across New England. She gave talks on topics like "Great Sons and Daughters." She also spoke about "Morals through Reverence." Some of her speeches were published in a book called Joys beyond Joy in 1902. This book included poems and short chapters on topics like "The Mood of Power" and "The Joys of Responsibility."
In 1903, she put together a book of selected poems called Apples of Gold. It featured poems from famous writers like Lowell, Emerson, and Longfellow. Her goal was to gather poems under different topics. These topics included "Progress," "Nature," and "Duty." She also wanted to collect poems that were good for memorizing.
She also helped create Forget Me Not in 1906 with Anna Stearns. Clara also wrote several services for Sunday schools to use.
Clara's Community Involvement
.png)
Clara Beatley was a director for the Children's Mission for several years. She also led the Moral Education Department of the Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government. This group worked for women's right to vote. She also chaired a committee focused on Moral Education. This committee included members from many women's clubs.
In 1909, Clara helped lead a project where women's clubs created "Virtue advertisements." These ads were put on Boston's street cars to encourage good behavior.
She served two terms as a director for the Unitarian Sunday School Society. She was also the secretary of the Unitarian Hospitality Committee, starting in 1900. Clara was a member of the Board of Managers of the Tuckerman School. She was also part of the Daughters of the American Revolution. From 1897 to 1898, she was the Treasurer of the Boston Browning Society.
Clara's Family Life
Clara Bancroft married James Augustus Beatley at the Church of the Disciples. They had four children together: two daughters and two sons.
James Beatley was also a Unitarian. He was a superintendent at a Sunday school in Chelsea, Massachusetts. For many years, he was a Master at The English High School in Boston. Both Clara and James were very active in their church. They supported Rev. Charles Gordon Ames when he became the new leader of their church.
Clara Bancroft Beatley passed away on October 20, 1923, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Clara's Books and Works
- Reverence : its cultivation and perversions, 1892
- Apples of gold; a book of selected verse, 1901 (Text)
- Joys beyond joy, 1902
- Treasures new and old; a memorial to James Freeman Clarke, celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of his birth, 1910
- A Christmas service and songs around the Christmas tree, 1911
- Forget-me-not; a year of happy days, 1912 (Text)
- Disciples services, 1912
- Social service for young people in the church school, plan of the Disciples school, Church of the Disciples, Boston, Mass (n.d.)
- How to organize a Sunday School. (n.d.)
