1875-1955
Educator

"Education is the largest public enterprise in the United States; in my opinion, the country's most important business. Nature has stored up in individuals native powers, possibilities, potentialities. And it is the work of education to release these powers - to make actual and real these possibilities in order that the individual himself may live life to the fullest, and make a contribution to the sum of total happiness."

Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune - Educational Advisor to three Presidential Administrations, and also the daughter of slaves - recognized the importance of education at an early age. She vowed that she would never rest "while there was a single boy or girl without a chance to prove his worth." In 1904, Bethune opened a grammar school for girls with only a dream and a prayer; today, Bethune Cookman University is a thriving institution of higher learning.

Our nation's children are in crisis. We must do all we can to identify and unleash the potential of our youth, while inspiring them to live out their dreams. Dr. Bethune's exhortations are just as applicable today, and her courageous spirit remains a beacon of light.

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