Born to former slaves, Mary McLeod Bethune was Midtown s beacon and much more
This short story captures the life of Mary McLeod Bethune, Daytona Beach s most famous citizen, who founded Bethune-Cookman University in Midtown.
Staff Report, The Daytona Beach News-Journal
Published
5:54 pm UTC Jan. 3, 2021
Mary McLeod Bethune was born on a South Carolina farm in 1875, the 15th child of former slaves.
Former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, right, presents Mary McLeod Bethune with an honorary doctorate in this March 1953 photo.Photo provided
That humble beginning did not deter her. Bethune became a renowned educator. With $1.50 as capital, she founded what is now Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach on the site of a former dump in the impoverished Midtown neighborhood.