Helena Maud Brown Cobb facts for kids

Helena Maud Brown Cobb (January 24, 1869 – December 22, 1922) was an important American educator and missionary. She was born in Monroe County, Georgia. Helena went to Atlanta University. She became a teacher and a principal at many schools for African American students in Georgia. She also worked hard to create more chances for women to become missionaries in the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church.

Helena Maud Brown Cobb: A Life of Learning and Leadership

Early Life and Education

Helena Maud Brown was born in Monroe County, Georgia, on January 24, 1869. Her parents, Jonah and Louvonia Brown, were very religious Christians. Helena went to primary schools in Monroe and Pike County.

In 1883, she started attending Storr's School in Atlanta. Later, in 1885, she enrolled at Atlanta University. She worked very hard and graduated with high honors. Helena earned her Bachelor of Arts degree on May 28, 1891.

A Leader in Education

After college, Helena Cobb became a teacher. She taught at many schools across Georgia. She was the principal of the public school in Milner, Georgia. She also served as an assistant principal in Columbus, Georgia.

Later, she taught at the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute in Augusta, Georgia. She eventually became the principal there. Helena then led the Lampson Normal School in Marshallville, Georgia. She left that role in May 1903.

Missionary Work and Church Leadership

On December 19, 1899, Helena married Andrew Jackson Cobb. He was a minister in the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (CME Church). Andrew Cobb passed away on September 7, 1915.

Helena Cobb became very active in her church. In 1902, she was chosen to be the president of the Georgia Conference Mission Society. This group helped organize missionary work. By 1906, she became the main editor of Missionary Age. This was the official magazine for the church's women's missionary movement.

Founding the Helena B. Cobb Institute

In the early 1900s, Helena Cobb started her own school. It was called the Helena B. Cobb Institute. This school was located in Barnesville, Georgia. The exact year it opened is debated, but it was around 1906-1909.

The institute was inspired by Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee Institute. It provided education for African American girls. It was the only school for women within the CME Church. A government survey in the 1910s praised the institute. It said the school was a great place for African Americans in the area to get extra education.

Her Lasting Impact

Helena Cobb passed away in Atlanta on December 22, 1922. She was buried in the O'Neal Cemetery in Barnesville. Her work left a lasting mark on education and missionary efforts. In 2003, she was honored for her achievements. She was inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement.