Mary Gibson Hundley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Gibson Hundley
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Mary Gibson Hundley, pictured in the Radcliffe College Yearbook, 1918
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| Born |
Mary Gibson
October 18, 1897 |
| Died | 1986 |
| Occupation | Educator Writer |
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Notable work
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The Dunbar Story, 1870-1955 |
Mary Gibson Hundley (born October 18, 1897 – died 1986) was an important educator and a brave civil rights activist from Baltimore, Maryland. She worked hard to make education better and fought for fairness for everyone. Her father, Malachi Gibson, was a lawyer, and her mother, Mary Matilda Syphax, was a teacher. Mary Gibson Hundley was also related to some famous people, including Martha Washington and William Syphax, who has a school named after him in Washington D.C.. Another relative was Douglas Syphax, an officer in the Union army during the American Civil War.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mary Gibson Hundley was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 18, 1897. She went to the "M" Street School in Washington D.C., which is now known as Dunbar High School. She graduated from there in 1914.
After high school, Mary attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She studied English and loved being part of the college theater shows. She graduated with honors in 1918. Later, she continued her studies in French at Middlebury College and the Sorbonne in Paris, France.
A Career in Teaching
Mary Gibson Hundley started her teaching career in Baltimore. After two years, she moved back to Washington D.C. In 1920, she began teaching English, French, and Latin at Dunbar High School, where she stayed until 1954. She also taught part-time at Miner Teacher's College for a short time.
While at Dunbar High School, she helped students prepare for college. She also organized special after-school programs to help students learn even more. After Dunbar, she taught at Eastern High School and then at Howard University. Even after leaving Howard, she continued to teach French to students as a tutor.
In 1965, Mary Gibson Hundley wrote a book called The Dunbar Story, 1870-1955. This book tells the history of Dunbar High School, which was the first school in the United States specifically for Black students to prepare them for college.
Fighting for Fairness
Mary Gibson Hundley was also a civil rights activist, meaning she worked to make sure all people had equal rights. In 1941, she and her husband, Frederick F. Hundley, bought a house in a neighborhood. However, some of their white neighbors tried to stop them from living there because of unfair rules about who could live in certain areas.
The neighbors took the Hundleys to court and won at first. This meant the Hundleys were told they couldn't live in their own home and were eventually forced to move out. But the Hundleys fought back! Their case was later overturned on appeal. This important case was even mentioned in a bigger court case called Shelley v. Kraemer in 1948. That case made it illegal to have rules that stopped people from owning property based on their race.
Family and Community Involvement
Mary Gibson Hundley was married twice. Her first marriage was to William M. Brewer, and they divorced in 1935. In 1938, she married Frederick F. Hundley, who was an art teacher. He passed away in 1955.
Mary was also very involved in many women's groups and community organizations. She was a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and The Links, which are groups that do important work in the community. She also volunteered with the Women's Auxiliary of the Freedmen's Hospital (now Howard University Hospital) and the Radcliffe Club of Washington.
She often volunteered to help foreign visitors in Washington D.C., acting as an escort and interpreter. She also led tours for the National Education Association. In 1978, Radcliffe College honored her with an award for her amazing work as an educator and her brave efforts as a citizen.
Later Life and Lasting Impact
Mary Gibson Hundley passed away in 1986. Her important papers, including her writings and records, were given to the Schlesinger Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that same year. Her work as a teacher and her fight for civil rights left a lasting impact on many lives.
