Cowper, Mary Octavine Thompson, 1881-1968.

Dates:
Birth 1881
Death 1968

Biographical notes:

Social activist. Instrumental in founding first nursery school in Durham, N.C.

From the description of Mary Octavine (Thompson) Cowper Papers, 1895-1969, bulk 1938-1969. (Duke University Library). WorldCat record id: 16392352

1881, May 20 Born Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee. 1904 Bachelor of Letters, Drury College, Springfield, Missouri. 1907 M.A., Drury College, English as major, French as minor. 1909, April 17 Married Frederick Augustus Grant Cowper, Asst. Professor, Modern Language Dept., Drury College. 1911 Elected Chairman, Douglas Co., Kansas Woman Suffrage Association. 1914 M.A., sociology, University of Kansas. 1914 1916 Completed course work for Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Chicago. 1918 Moved to Durham with her husband who taught French at Trinity College (now Duke University). 1920 Helped organize the North Carolina Chapter of the League of Women Voters. 1923 1931 Edited the N.C. League of Women Voters Monthly Bulletin. 1924 1925 Awarded a writing fellowship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where she wrote a study of cotton mill villages. 1925 Became Regional Director for the National League of Women Voters. 1934 American Association of University Women representative on the Citizens Council of Durham. 1937 Chair of the Durham branch, American Association of University Women Social Studies Committee. 1938 1962 Executive Director, Durham Nursery School Association. 1939 1945 Chair of the Durham office of Civilian Defense - Child Welfare Division. 1944 Instrumental in founding Southside Child Care Center. 1958 Southside Child Care Center, Durham, N.C., renamed the Mary O. Cowper Child Care Center 1968, Oct. 26 Died Durham, N.C.

From the guide to the Mary Octavine (Thompson) Cowper Papers, 1895-1969, (Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library)

Links to collections

Comparison

This is only a preview comparison of Constellations. It will only exist until this window is closed.

  • Added or updated
  • Deleted or outdated

Information

Permalink:
SNAC ID:

Subjects:

  • Child welfare
  • Milk trade
  • Nursery schools
  • Textile industry
  • Textile workers
  • Women

Occupations:

not available for this record

Places:

  • North Carolina (as recorded)
  • North Carolina--Durham (as recorded)

SNAC Cooperative Logo

Social Networks and Archival Context

SNAC is a discovery service for persons, families, and organizations found within archival collections at cultural heritage institutions.

Sponsors

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services
National Endowment for the Humanities

Hosts

University of Virginia Library
National Archives and Records Administration