Mary M. Hobbs -- Biographical [subject file]

              NEWS AND OBSfcKVtK. H^UJIUH, N. C. SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL; 17, 1927;
M'-
Disturbed at Growing Spirit
Of Militarism Now Apparent
Mrs."" Mary "  MendenKall
Hobbs " Warns " Friends
Jhey May Be Considered "Bolshevists'* ""
m
By  NELL  BATTLE  LEWIS.""The .L>i>i given Mrs. Mary
Mendenhall Hobbs was one of the
best degrees ever conferred by the
University of North Carolina," a
member of the University faculty
recently said. It was one that
gavel general satisfaction, for in
honoring Mrs. Hobbs tho University
reeognized the- good influence of a
very useful life. Mrs. Hobbs is
one of three women who have received this -degree from the University. The other two were Mrs.
Cornelia Phillpis Speneer, staunch
friend of the institution during its
difficult years after the Civil War,
and Dr. Emilie McVea, former
president of Sweet Briar College.".-All her life Mrs. Hobbs has been
associated with Guilford College
which is maintained by the Society
of Friends, a denomination of which
she is a prominent member. Her
father, Dr. Nereus Mendenhall, was
principal of the institution when
it was the New Garden Boarding
School opened in 1837. Mrs. Hobbs
went tb> school there before going
North to complete her education.
She also taught there for a year
after her return to the State, and
she Tnarried Guilford's former president—then a teacher, now president emeritus—Dr. L. L. Hobbs.
Influence for Good.
Busy for many years with her
children and her home, Mrs. Hobbs
it the same time has had wide
Influence for good both at the
college and in the State at largo.
She has held no official position
in the college since she taught
there, but the students have come
in contact with her as the president's wife. In this association
they have reaped the benefits of
her liberality and her broad views
of life and education. Through
her own usefulness and the stimulation of her personality, indirectly
she has taught them lessons perhaps more valuable than those
learned  in the  class  room.
In keeping with the doctrine*
of her denomination, Mrs. Hobbs
is a lover of peace, and has al-
ways been its advocate in speech
and in her writings for newspapers
in the State. "The Friends. believe that war is wrong," she says,""that it is oppose.4 to the principles  of Jesus  Christ,"
She, is disturbed now by what
she believes to be the growing
spirit of militarism in the United
States, especially the increased mili-
hood" and thinks that "he was betrayed in (the house of his, friends."
Friend   of  Education.
As is to be expected from her
life-long academic, associations as
well as from her own breadth of
mind, Mrs. Hobbs has always been
keenly interested in education, sot
only at Guilford College but in
North Carolina as a whole. "AM
of our colleges," she says, "need
the assistance of the far-sighted
and generous mpn and women of
North Carolina because every one
is needed to meet the demands of
our " young " people It " is " as
plain as any terrestrial thing that
if the doctrine of government of,
by and for the people is to be- our
guide all of the people must be
educated. They must know something of our history and of our
government, of the requirements
for good citizenship and of the
policies which work to eertala ends.
Some must be trained for positions
of responsibility and sueh training
should be within the reach of
every one with the ability and determination to. secure it."
She has always favored adequate
opportunities in the lower schools,
too, "hisph schools within the  resch
"We congratulate ourselves that
we are the freest of the free and
laud ourselves in various ways, but
even were these things all true, they
will not save us. If we. hes'tato
to tax ourselves that the young
people may be thoroughly edU'
cated we do not act as free men
and women, but as ignorant
cowards."
Mrs. Hobbs took"V great interest
in the anti-evolutien controversy
reflected in the Legislatures of
1925 and 1927, heartily opposing,
of course, the passage of any law
to stifle knowledge. She soemef
agreeably surprised that the Pooh
bill showed so little strength iu
the last session of the General
Assembly, listened with interest tc
an account of its sensational hearing, and was delighted to learn that
from indications in the recent session the danger of further interference by the Fundamentalists in
educational policy in North Carolina seems safely passed. v
Praises Miss  McLean.
In her opinion, as in that of
numerous ethers, Miss Carrie Me.
Lean, Bepresentative from Mecklenburg county, was the star of
the " General " Assembly   this " <
Lean  that, according to  the  Bible,
words fitly spokenVare <'like apples
of' gold in^iUshCTS of, silver," and
that the speech  of the  Lady from
Mecklenburg " had " exemplified "  it.
The   good   sense   and   wit   of   Miss
McLean  as  shown  in  this  pungent
"^rance   appeared   to   give " Mrs,"">s  profound  satisfaction." With
y   others," she   laughed   at   the
isant  thought  of   Miss   McLean,
shy  David,  puncturing  with   one
ell-aimed shot the inflated Goliath,
J local Boo3terism.
Faith In; Women.
No other denominatipn has beei
fair to .women as\ have ■ the
friends who ■ have always believed
in women's right to full educational opportunities, as well . as
equal participation in the affairs of
the church. ' Naturally Mrs.. Hobbs,
always with temperance, has favored the advance of women. When
she was in eollege in New Vork
nate she heard Susan B. Anthony
speak, but she was in no need of
conversion to belief In,' women's
rights; and powers." Wnen hundred?
of girls in North Carolina were
being denied the opportunity for
higher education, Mrs; Hobbs was
tine of the members of the W. C
T. U. and the King's Daughters who.
handed themselves ■ together • to
bring ■ this condition before the
ile of the State and to petition
Legislature to establish an institution commensurate- with the
need. This effort, she says, was
entirely spontaneous and • was independent of that of Dr. Charles
Mclver and his associates-
a firm friend of the N. 0.
illege for Women which "has edu-
[ted hundreds of girls who other-
ice eould not have received an
education." According to Mrs.
' ibbs, the girls of North Carolina
ould be thoroughly equipped to
,eet the needs of the day. Guil-
frtrd Cellege from its founding has
[ways admitted women equally
jtb  men.
An Able Family.
{Mrs. Hobbs  comes from  an  able
ijmiiy."  The   American   bransh   of
the Mendenhalls came to Pennsylvania with William Pe'nn in 086S-,
On her mother's side Mrs, Hobbs
is a descendant of Quakers who
first settled on Nantucket Island.
Her father, Dr. Nereus Mendenhall;
was ene of'the prominent eduea-:
tors of his time in North Carolina.
Upon his graduation from Eaver-
fard* College in 1887 he was .wade
principal of the New Garden Board-1
mg School which . later developed
into Guilford College. He kept the j
institution open' ^during the Civil!
War c when his daughter was one of
the scholars. Dr. Mendenhall was
"not' \ohiy  a  scholar   of   wide   an.d
Intelligent, earnest and zealous
lover of humanity '.'.'.. His sympathies were as far-reaching as the
human race."- Learned though1 he
was, at the same time he was a
aan; of: deep religions feeling. His
enlightened creed which, of. course,
influenced the character, of the liberal mental bent of his, daughter
was asfollows:""""" ■ """"" '
A  Quaker's  Creed.""Ij  Man; is a progressive being.""2. Though- in large degfee an
animal, ruled by externals (the
objective)" in his actuality, or as
an  enteleehy,-—he  is  God-like.""3." Man   is  potentially   God-like.""4." As map's will }s,. so is he,""5. Hence as he- .yields to. or
wills the God-like, so he becomes.""6. The full manifestation of
God or the God-like,,to and in humanity, was and is by, in and
through the Christ (historical and
spiritual)"
"7. The Spirit guides into all
truth
"8. This guiding is not. completed  this   day   or   the   next,  this
year   or   tho  next,'; this'century   or
sively, by and through the Spirit,
as it has guided, is now guiding
and will guide the individual and
the human race,—-this guidance pertaining to Art, Science; Literature,
matters civil, ,political, domestic,
religious,—to everything good belonging to life.""9. Hence to will the Will or
to will to do the Will of the
Christ, as manifested in and by
the Spirit, is progressively, to'become  God-like."
"THe Inner-Light."
In this creed of her father one
sees,, in .part, evidence of that
"inner Light" which" has led Mrs;
Hobbs along her useful way, which
is responsible for her helpful influence   on   the   life   of   her   State,
rich   h'a's * made * her   t$e>" friend
peace, of  industry,'of  tolerance,
of opportunity   for   all," and   which " now
with  the mellow evening
on   her iace»-the eheerferii
snity " of " good-will " and " good
•ks well done. j"
ALLEN'S
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