Mary Rice Hayes Allen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Rice Hayes Allen
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| Born |
Mary Magdalene Rice
March 2, 1875 Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S.
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| Died | October 10, 1935 (aged 60) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | educator |
| Spouse(s) |
Gregory W. Hayes
(m. 1895; died 1906)William Allen
(m. 1911) |
Mary Rice Hayes Allen (March 2, 1875 – October 10, 1935) was an American educator. She worked to make schools fair for everyone. She also led the Virginia Theological Seminary and College for a few years.
Contents
About Mary Rice Hayes Allen
Early Life and Family
Mary Rice Hayes Allen was born on March 2, 1875, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Her mother, Malinda Rice, had been enslaved. Her father was a former Confederate general named John R. Jones.
Mary went to Hartshorn Memorial College to get her education. In 1895, she married Gregory W. Hayes, who was also an educator. They had seven children together, and five of them grew up.
Leading a College
Mary's first husband, Gregory Hayes, became the president of the Virginia Theological Seminary and College in 1891. This school is now called Virginia University of Lynchburg. He was the president until he passed away in 1906.
After her husband's death, Mary Rice Hayes Allen took over as president. She led the college from 1906 until 1908. Then, James Robert Lincoln Diggs became the new president.
Fighting for Fairness
In 1911, Mary Rice Hayes Allen married William Allen. They had three children together and made their home in Montclair, New Jersey.
Mary was a strong supporter of equal rights for all people. She worked hard to end unfair separation in the Montclair public schools. This separation, called segregation, meant Black and white students went to different schools. Mary wanted all students to learn together.
She was also very active in the local group of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP is an organization that works for civil rights and justice for Black Americans. Mary was involved with the NAACP throughout the 1920s and 1930s. She passed away on October 10, 1935.
Her Legacy
Mary Rice Hayes Allen's daughter, Carrie Allen McCray, wrote a book about her mother. The book is called Freedom's Child: The Life of a Confederate General's Black Daughter. It was published in 1998 by Algonquin Books.
In 2018, Mary Rice Hayes Allen was honored in Virginia. Her name was added to the glass Wall of Honor at the Virginia Women's Monument. This monument celebrates important women from Virginia's history.
