Sallie Wyatt Stewart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sallie Wyatt Stewart
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Sallie Wyatt Stewart, from a 1942 publication.
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| Born | January 3, 1881 Ensley, Tennessee
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| Died | July 1951 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Educator |
| Spouse(s) | Logan Henry Stewart |
| Parent(s) | Armstead and Eliza (Jones) Wyatt |
Sallie Wyatt Stewart (born January 3, 1881 – died July 1951) was an American teacher and a leader in social services. She worked to help the black community in Evansville, Indiana. Stewart is best known for leading important black women’s clubs at local, state, and national levels.
She was the president of the Indiana Federation of Colored Women from 1921 to 1928. After that, she became president of the National Association of Colored Women from 1928 to 1933, taking over from Mary McLeod Bethune. During her time as president of the Indiana Federation, Stewart started "The Hoosier Woman." This was a monthly newsletter for the organization. As president of the National Association, she helped create the National Association of Colored Girls in 1930.
Stewart also traveled to Vienna, Austria, in 1930 as a delegate to the International Council of Women. She was also a vice president of the National Council of Women of the United States. She helped manage the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association. Stewart was also a teacher in the Evansville public schools for over fifty years.
Stewart moved to Evansville, Indiana, from Tennessee when she was young. She worked in homes before becoming a teacher. She also built a real estate business with her husband. Stewart started many helpful projects in Evansville. In the 1910s and 1920s, she helped create groups like the Evansville Federation of Colored Women. She also helped start the Day Nursery Association for Colored Children. This was a child care center. She also helped create the Phyllis Wheatley Home, a place for young women to stay and have fun.
Stewart was also a founding member and first secretary of the Evansville chapter of the NAACP. In 1927, she was an officer on the Evansville Inter-Racial Commission. In 1928, she led a group for the tuberculosis association in Vanderburgh County, Indiana. During World War II, she organized the Colored Women's War Work Committee in Evansville. This group sold war bonds and stamps to support the war effort.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sallie Wyatt was born in Ensley, Tennessee, on January 3, 1881. Her parents were Armstead and Eliza (Jones) Wyatt. Her family moved to Evansville, Indiana, in 1883. Soon after they arrived, her father became disabled. Sallie and her mother worked as housekeepers to support themselves. They also cared for her father and her seven younger brothers and sisters.
Sallie grew up in a poor part of Evansville's black community. She kept working while attending the city's public schools. In 1897, at age sixteen, she graduated from Governor High School in Evansville. She was the top student, or valedictorian, of her class.
Wyatt continued her studies to become a teacher. She went to Evansville Normal School, a two-year teacher training program. She also took summer classes at the University of Chicago from 1909 to 1911. She returned for more classes in 1927, 1929, and 1930. She also took classes at Indiana University-Evansville from 1930 to 1935.
Marriage and Family Life
On November 30, 1911, Sallie Wyatt married Logan Henry Stewart. He was a real estate agent in Evansville. The couple did not have any children. Over the years, the Stewarts grew their real estate business. Sallie continued to manage it even after her husband passed away.
Career as an Educator
After getting her teaching certificate, Stewart began a fifty-year career. She taught in the Evansville public schools. She taught students from first grade all the way through high school.
From 1924 to 1928, she was the dean of girls at Evansville's Douglass High School. From 1928 to 1951, she was the dean of girls at Lincoln High School in the city. At Lincoln, she also started new classes. These included domestic science, stenography, and mental health.
Civic Work and Helping Others
As Stewart worked hard to improve her own life, she also focused on helping others. She wanted to make life better for black people in Evansville. Stewart was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Evansville. She also joined the Elizabeth Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. By 1912, she was spending more of her time on social work in Evansville.
Stewart became a founding member of the Evansville chapter of the NAACP around 1915. She served as the local chapter's first secretary. A year later, Stewart and other black women started the Day Nursery Association for Colored Children in Evansville. It opened in early 1919. These women raised about $2,000 to buy a nine-room house. There, they cared for an average of 29 children daily. Some children even stayed overnight so their mothers could work.
Soon after, Stewart and other black women in Evansville created a Girls' Protective League. This group raised money to buy a building. It became a fun center and a place for young women to live. These women were often coming to Evansville for work or school. The Phyllis Wheatley Home in Evansville opened in November 1922. By the 1930s, about 400 young women were taking part in activities at the home.
Through her early community work, Stewart became known for her great organizing skills. She was also very enthusiastic and dedicated to helping African Americans. By 1921, she had founded several Evansville groups. These included the Evansville Federation of Colored Women and the Day Nursery Association. She also founded the Phyllis Wheatley Home and the Evansville Colored Association of College Women's Clubs. Stewart's community involvement was not just with black women's groups. In 1927, she was an officer in the new Evansville Inter-Racial Commission. The next year, she led a group for the tuberculosis association in Vanderburgh County, Indiana.
Leading the Indiana Federation of Colored Women
From 1921 to 1928, Stewart was the president of the Indiana Federation of Colored Women. This was a statewide group started in 1904. It was also connected to the National Association of Colored Women.
Soon after becoming president, Stewart launched The Hoosier Woman. This was a monthly newsletter that she also edited. Its main goal was to improve communication. It helped leaders, local chapters, and members of the organization stay connected. By 1924, Stewart expanded the newsletter. It began to include national and international news.
During Stewart's time as president, the group grew a lot. Membership increased from 42 clubs in 1921 to 89 clubs. By the end of the decade, there were 1,670 members. Stewart also made the organization's structure simpler. She divided it into five main departments. Clubs were placed in departments based on what they aimed to do. The group also started collecting $2 in dues from each member. This money funded the organization's scholarship program. It also provided an annual $50 scholarship prize.
Leading the National Association of Colored Women
While still doing her community work in Indiana, Stewart became involved with the National Association of Colored Women. In 1918, she was chosen to lead its social science division. In 1922, she was elected to lead the NACW's executive board. She served in that role until 1924.
Before becoming president of the NACW in 1928, she was its vice president for four years. She actively helped raise money for the organization. This included money to fix and protect the Frederick Douglass home in Washington, D.C.. Because of her efforts, the NACW made her a trustee and secretary of the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association.
In 1928, Stewart was chosen unanimously as president of the NACW. She took over from Mary McLeod Bethune. Stewart was the fourth president of the NACW. She served until 1933, when Doctor Mary Fitzbutler Waring became president.
One of Stewart's big achievements as president was starting the National Association of Colored Girls in 1930. This was a youth group connected to the NACW. She also traveled a lot to give speeches and visit clubs across the country. In 1930, Stewart got approval to change the NACW's structure. She combined the organization's 38 departments into two main areas. The first area focused on home and family. The second focused on women in industry. The goal was to improve the lives of black women and their families everywhere. Under Stewart's leadership, the NACW also dealt with its money problems. They added a board to watch over their finances. Stewart also hired a full-time secretary for the NACW's national office in Washington, D.C.
Other Important Activities
Besides her many years of service in the Indiana Federation of Colored Women and the National Association of Colored Women, Stewart was part of several other groups. In 1930, as the leader of the NACW, Stewart was a delegate to the International Council of Women in Vienna, Austria.
She also served as a vice president of the National Council of Women of the United States. She was the first black woman to be officially recognized in this Council. In 1942, Stewart organized the Colored Women's War Work Committee. This group sold war bonds and stamps in the Evansville area during World War II.
Stewart was also a member of the executive committee for the National Negro Business League. She was also on the executive committee of the National Colored Merchants Association. She was a trustee of the Eastern Star and Masonic Home of Indiana. And she was president of the Lincoln Alumni Association.
Later Years and Legacy
Even though she lost a leg and later used a wheelchair, Stewart kept teaching in the Evansville schools. She taught until she retired in June 1951, just a month before she passed away. She also continued to be active in helping others.
Sallie Wyatt Stewart died at her home in Evansville, Indiana, in 1951.
Stewart is most remembered for her leadership in women's organizations at the state and national levels. She also worked hard to improve the lives of young black people in Indiana. Stewart helped provide money for their education through the Indiana Federation of Colored Women's scholarship fund. She also created local social service groups in Evansville. These included the Day Nursery Association and the Phyllis Wheatley Home. When Stewart died in 1951, her property was worth over $100,000. She left it in a trust to help young black women.
Images for kids
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Sallie Wyatt Stewart, from a 1942 publication.
