Mary Anne Bryant

Mary Anne Bryant Mayo
Born(1845-05-24)May 24, 1845
Convis Township, Michigan, US
DiedApril 21, 1903(1903-04-21) (aged 57)
Michigan, US
NationalityAmerican
Known forPatrons of Farm Husbandry
Board member ofMichigan State Agricultural College (now Michigan State University)
SpousePerry Mayo

Mary Anne Bryant Mayo (May 24, 1845 – 1903) was an American farm organizer for the Patrons of Husbandry (called the Grange).[1][2] She is known for her work as part of the American Granger movement to better farm communities.[1]

Early life and career

Mary Anne Bryant Mayo was born in May 24, 1845, in Convis Township, Michigan[3] in Battle Creek, Michigan.[4] In 1865, she married Perry Mayo, who shared her passion for organizations that work to better the community and the individual. Both were elected to positions in the county organization in the early 1870s after becoming involved in the Patrons of Husbandry (also known as the Grange) and the creation of Farmers' Institutes.[1] Mary Mayo in particular developed into a very active and successful Grange organizer where she held positions as the head of the woman's labor committee, and the state Grange chaplain starting in 1891.

In her position, she founded the "Fresh Air" program, which involved bringing urban impoverished children to stay in Granger houses for weekends in the country.[5] Over time, she organized the gathering of women here and she delivered lectures on courses in line with the Farmers' Institute framework. After more than 10 years of struggle, she secured the establishment of a women's department (1897) in its own building (1900) at Michigan State Agricultural College (now Michigan State University).[1][6] A women's dormitory was named after her in 1931.[6]

In 1989, she was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Mary Anne Bryant Mayo | American farm organizer | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  2. ^ Service, United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research (1976). The American Farmer. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
  3. ^ Hannan, Caryn (January 1, 1998). Michigan Biographical Dictionary. State History Publications. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-878592-95-8.
  4. ^ Lambrou, J.T. (July 26, 2021). "Bryant Farm Historical Marker". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  5. ^ Snodgrass, Mary Ellen (March 26, 2015). The Civil War Era and Reconstruction: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural and Economic History. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-45791-6.
  6. ^ a b Badgley Malone, Megan. "Exhibits | Home Economics, 1895–2005". On the Banks of the Red Cedar. Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  7. ^ "Mary Anne Mayo". Michigan Women Forward. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  • "Mayo family papers" Collection Identifier: UA-28.1, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan. Accessed May 13, 2023.
Stub icon

This article about an American educator is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.