children, that something has

happened here— that all that

we have done is simply in the

starting of an institution that I

am hoping you finer men and

women are going to build up,

to carry to higher heights than

I shall ever be able to reach.

….We have suffered and

toiled to get what you have.

You must make use of it and

enjoy it. Reach higher your

attitudes for better service.

Give well, unstintingly of your

service to make this a beauti-

ful home. What you can con-

tribute in spirit and in service

give gladly that this might be

all that you have in your

minds.”

-Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune

“Bethune-Cookman Col-

lege, as our Speaker of the

hour has said, has made

many strides forward She

has come up from very

humble surroundings, and

environments. Oh, the

days were so dark! We

had none of the fine, mod-

ern buildings that you en-

joy today. When we came

here this was simply a

dumping ground—no lights,

no water, no telephones. We

brought the first stream of

water from Ridgewood Ave-

nue….We brought the first

telephone wires, the first line

of electricity; all the...water,

lights, telephones used on

this side of Ridgewood Ave-

nue we started up and

brought out thirty two years

ago. I want you to realize my

The summer season has come and gone, and we were busy as ever here at the Mary McLeod

Bethune Council House National Historic Site, the first headquarters of the National Council

of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) and the last Washington residence of our beloved Mrs. Mary

McLeod Bethune. This summer, we had the pleasure of hosting seven young people who

served as interns. The interns came from various colleges and universities throughout the

country—and we even had one high school student! With their help, we were able to continue

to offer quality service to our visitors, and Mrs. Bethune’s 139th Birthday Celebration was exe-

cuted without a hitch! The interns also endeavored to come up with new and exciting programs

for the site, and their work

also included planning future

programs for the Carter G.

Woodson Home National

Historic Site, which we also

manage (expected to open to

the public next fall).

(continued on Page 4)

Dr. Bethune Speaks: The President’s Response To The Founder’s Day Address

October 3, 1936 I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Historical Hot Topic:

Dr. Bethune Speaks

1

Greetings from the

Council House 1

Historic Founders Day

Celebrations 2

Legend Keeper:

A Word From The

Curator

3

Greetings from the

Council House (cont’d) 4

Bethune-Cookman

University History 5

Credits/Resources

5

G r e e t i n g s f r o m t h e C o u n c i l H o u s e

T H E H O M E O F D R . M A R Y M C L E O D B E T H U N E

The Legendary Retreat

Founder’s Day Edition

Fall, 2014 Volume 2, Issue 1

H i s t o r i c F o u n d e r ’ s D a y

C e l e b r a t i o n s

P a g e 2 T h e L e g e n d a r y R e t r e a t

`

Founder’s Day 1949

Founder’s Day Pilgrimage to Oak Street in the 1920’s

There is so very much to tell you all but I will be brief! Most

recently I presented a paper titled “Mary McLeod Bethune’s

Activism In Florida” at the 99th Annual Association for the

Study of African American Life and History Conference.

What a great experience! Mrs. Bethune once presented at this

conference and was the president of the organization for 15

years! It was surreal to present on her behalf and to indeed

walk in her shoes. Starting October 18th we’ll be partnering

with the Swisher Library and the B-CU School of Education

to begin the “Books and Bears” program once again! This

reading initiative invites children from the local community to

the library to read, do arts and crafts and for lunch. I am

proud to say that we are reaching out to the community in a

major way and I KNOW Mrs. Bethune would approve. Last-

ly, I’ve written a chapter titled “Building Bridges Between

Black America and the World: Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s

1949 Trip to Haiti” for the book Liberating Minds Liberating Society: Black Women in the Development of American Cul-ture and Society. Feel free to check out this publication of the

Association of Black Women Historians via Amazon. I abso-

lutely loved working with these ladies! I pray you all are in-

spired more than ever in this 110th year of academic excel-

lence and please continue to keep this historic home in your

thoughts and prayers! Much love and peace to you!

Dr. Ashley “Legend Keeper” Robertson

L e g e n d K e e p e r : A W o r d F r o m T h e C u r a t o r

P a g e 3

"Does the American Negro take advantage of opportu-

nities to secure education? Practically no schoolhouse

has been opened for the Negro since the war that has

not been filled. Often hungry and in rags, making sacri-

fices of which you little dream, the Negro youth has

been determined to annihilate his mental darkness."

Booker T. Washington, 1904

"Negro Education Not a Failure"

October 3, 1904 Mrs. Bethune set out to build upon

the foundations of her mentor and fellow educator Mr.

Booker T. Washington. She once said that she had a

dream that Mr. Washington passed her a diamond and

told her to use it to build her school. Although she

didn’t elaborate on the significance of the diamond I

see it as a torch that he passed for her to carry higher

and higher. She went on to follow in his footsteps in

establishing a school turned university and she became

a mighty race woman just as he had also done. Today,

I am so grateful to have a piece of the diamond that has

been passed to share with the world, and for me the

diamond is simply the knowledge of the story of Mrs.

Bethune. I’ve drawn so much strength in knowing that

she started her school at such a very young age and was

able to accomplish so much with so little. When you

think about 1.50 and faith to start a school there is real-

ly no excuse to not succeed. Let us continue to draw

from that mustard seed of faith.

Greetings (Continued from page 1)

In addition, the interns were able to learn how to run a historic home, the ins and outs of historic interpretation, public programming,

and cultural resource management.

With the help of our professional and talented staff, we were able to expose the interns to the legacy of Mrs. Bethune and the mission

of the National Park Service, which included planning and taking them on trips to other National Park sites and other places of historic im-

portance, such as the current headquarters of the NCNW, located at 633 Pennsylvania Avenue in Northwest, Washington, D.C. Did you know

that the NCNW are the FIRST and ONLY African Americans to OWN property on Pennsylvania Avenue? Well, now you do! The Bethune

Council House was fortunate to have the amazing young people here this summer, and we always look for ways to foster partnerships and build

alliances with diverse people, organizations, and educational institutions, after all, that is the Bethune way!

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were privileged to attend the 56th National Convention of the NCNW, held at the Gaylord National

Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. NPS ( National Park Services) staff brought forth greetings, attended sessions,

and shared with the delegates who we were and what we do. We were also featured in their exhibit space, we gave away our brochures and sold

our one-of-a-kind Bethune memorabilia and merchandise from our gift shop. As we commence in this new season, we are working on new in-

terpretive programs, including book talks. In the past few months, there have been several books published that highlight African American

women, and we plan to bring the books and their authors here to have historical fun, and enlightening conversations. We are also hard at work

on a fun, interesting exhibit entitled, “Bethune Goes to Hollywood.” This new exhibit will feature several well-known African American celebri-

ties and pop culture figures during the Bethune era, and will also highlight their connection to the “First Lady of Negro America.”

We thank everyone for their continued support and we want you to stay tuned, because we are taking Mrs. Bethune and her legacy to

new and greater heights!

If you are ever in the nation’s capital, feel free to come and visit us:

Page 4

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, National Historic Site

1318 Vermont Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20005

Open seven days a week, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., (202) 673-2402

Website:: www.nps.gov/mamc Facebook: www.facebook.com

Twitter: @BethuneNHS Instagram: @bethunenhs

Page 5

Bethune-Cookman University is an institution filled with rich history and

beloved traditions. From it's beginnings as a school for young African

American girls to its university status, B-CU prides itself with the commit-

ment to academic excellence and community service.

Founded by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune in 1904, Bethune-Cookman Uni-

versity is a historically Black United Methodist church related university

offering Baccalaureate and Master’s degrees. The mission is to serve in the

Christian tradition, the diverse educational, social and cultural needs of the

students, and to develop in them the desire and capacity for continuous

intellectual and professional growth, leadership and service to others. The

university has deep roots in the history of America, and continues to pro-

vide services to the broader community through a focus on service learning

and civic engagement.

Thank you to the following contributing writers for their submissions in

our Founder’s Day Edition Newsletter:

Greetings: Mr. John T. Fowler II, M.A., Park Guide and Volunteer Coordi-

nator at the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, National Historic Site.

Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation Newsletter

Dr. Ashley Robertson, Curator/Director/ Newsletter Editor

Mrs. Sandra Zow-Johnson, Assistant to the Curator/Editor

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday 10a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays by appointment

386-481-2121/2122

mmbfoundation@cookman.edu

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mmbretreat

Enter To Learn, Depart To Serve

Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation-National Historic Landmark

640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd.

Daytona Beach, Florida 32114