Anna J. Hardwicke Pennybacker (May 7, 1861 – February 4, 1938), known publicly after her marriage as Mrs. Percy V. Pennybacker, was the president of the American

General Federation of Women's Clubs The General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), founded in 1890 during the Progressive Movement, is a federation of approximately 2,300 women's clubs in the United States which promote civic improvements through volunteer service. Community Serv ...

in the early 20th century, a

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Cha ...

speaker and a leader in the

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

movement.
"Mrs. Pennybacker Dies in Austin," ''Ada (Oklahoma) Weekly News,'' February 10, 1938, image 3"Honors Paid Texas Woman," ''The El Paso Times,'' February 6, 1938, Page 1
/ref>

Personal

Anna J. Hardwicke was born May 7, 1861, in

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 33,458 with a majority bla ...

, the daughter of John Benjamin Hardwicke, a Baptist minister, and his wife, the former Martha Dews. The family moved to Texas when she was 17, and in 1880 she graduated from the new Normal Institute in Huntsville, then taught in Bryan Grammar School. Before 1884 she taught in Missouri."Know America: Today in History," ''The News,'' Frederick, Maryland, image 6
/ref> "Anna Pennybacker, Teacher, Author, Activist, 1861-1938," ''Great Texas Women,'' Kinsolving Hall, University of Texas at Austin, undated
/ref> She and Percy Vivian Pennybacker were married on October 31, 1884, or November 1, 1884, in

Smith County, Texas Smith County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 233,479. Its county seat is Tyler. Smith County is named for James Smith, a general during the Texas Revolution. Smith County is part of the Tyl ...

(1856-1899),Smith County Marriage Records, Volume 1, page 502
/ref> and they moved to

Tyler, Texas Tyler, officially the City of Tyler, is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, United States. As of 2020, the population is 105,995. Tyler was the List of municipalities in Texas, 38th most populous city in Texas (as well as the m ...

, where he became

school superintendent In the American education system, a superintendent or superintendent of schools is an administrator or manager in charge of a number of public schools or a school district, a local government body overseeing public schools. All school principal ...

and appointed her as history teacher and

principal Principal may refer to: Title or rank * Principal (academia), the chief executive of a university ** Principal (education), the head of a school * Principal (civil service) or principal officer, the senior management level in the UK Civil Ser ...

at Central High School. She taught there for nine years, and in 1893 went with her husband to

Palestine, Texas Palestine ( ) is a city in and the County seat, seat of Anderson County, Texas, Anderson County in the U.S. state of Texas. It was named after Palestine, Illinois, by preacher Daniel Parker (Baptist), Daniel Parker, who had migrated from that ...

, where he had a new position. She was a friend of

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt ( ; October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, first lady of the United States, during her husband Franklin D ...

; they were often guests of each other in their homes. She died February 4, 1938, in Austin. Governor James V. Allred ordered the flag over the

State Capitol A capitol, or seat of government, is the building or complex of buildings from which a government such as that of a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, or the organized territories of the United States, exercises its authority. Although m ...

to be lowered to

half staff Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress signal, distress, or, in so ...

as a woman who has endeared herself to the hearts of all Texans." A funeral service was at St. David's Episcopal Church. She was survived by two sons, Percy V. Pennybacker and Paul Bonner Pennybacker; a daughter, Ruth; and three siblings, A.S. Hardwicke, Mrs. T.T. Holloway and Mrs. B.C. Epperson.

Activities

After quitting her paid work, Mrs. Pennybacker became active in the

women's club The club movement is an American women's social movement that started in the mid-19th century and spread throughout the United States. It established the idea that women had a moral duty and responsibility to transform public policy. While wome ...

movement; from 1901-1903 she was president of the

Texas Federation of Women's Clubs The Texas Federation of Women's Clubs (TFWC) is a non-profit women's organization in Texas which was founded in 1897. The purpose of the group is to create a central organization for women's clubs and their members in Texas relating to education, ...

, and in 1912 she was elected president of the General Federation of Women's Clubs for a two-year term. In 1888, she published ''A New History of Texas for Schools,'' which was adopted as the official text for

public schools Public school may refer to: *Public school (government-funded), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government *Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging private schools in England and Wales *Great Public Schools, ...

. In 1913, she told the fourth American Peace Conference that the then-current method of celebrating Independence Day in the United States was a "travesty." She suggested that

children form floral processions at school buildings, march to some central point which would be made the scene of a general celebration, in which places of honor would be given to young men who have arrived at the age of 21 within the year. She further advocated that speeches should be made to these young men and that civic oaths containing peace clauses should be administered.

The same year she urged that measures be taken to enforce the 1906

Pure Food and Drug Act The s:Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, also known as the Wiley Act and Harvey Washington Wiley, Dr. Wiley's Law, was the first of a series of significant consumer protection laws enacted by the United States Con ...

. In 1915, Mrs. Pennybacker became head of the National Women's Committee of Near East Relief, which had orphanages in Greece and in Palestine. A pacifist, she reluctantly supported

American involvement in World War I American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

Afterwards, she set her goals on international peace and disarmament by working as a special correspondent to the
League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
. She urged the United States to join the
World Court The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues as interpretati ...
and to sign the Kellogg-Briand Pact, renouncing war as an instrument of national policy.

In a 1926 talk in

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

, she told of her recent trip to Geneva and Greece. She was noted as "one of the most gifted speakers on the platform today." Active in the

Chautauqua movement Chautauqua ( ) is an adult education and social movement in the United States that peaked in popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chau ...

, Mrs. Pennybacker persuaded

John D. Rockefeller Jr. John Davison Rockefeller Jr. (January 29, 1874 – May 11, 1960) was an American financier and philanthropist. Rockefeller was the fifth child and only son of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. He was involved in the development of th ...

to donate money that staved off

bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

. in 1935. She also influenced President

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

to speak at a fund-raising event.Stacy A. Cordery, "Pennybacker, Anna J. Hardwicke," Texas State Historical Association, 2010 and 2017
/ref>

Legacy

In Texas, a

rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

was named in her honor in 1929. It was noted as "A fine grower, with stout thornless canes coming freely from the base of the plant. Peach-pink with silvery suffusions in color." She

bequeathed A devise is the act of giving real property by will, traditionally referring to real property. A bequest is the act of giving property by will, usually referring to personal property. Today, the two words are often used interchangeably due to thei ...

$5,000 to Sam Houston State Teachers College in

Huntsville, Texas Huntsville is a city in and the county seat of Walker County, Texas, United States. Its population was 45,941 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the center of the Huntsville United States micropolitan area, micropolitan area ...

, to establish a Pennybacker scholarship "for the cultivation in the student body of a love for the true and beautiful in life.""Public Bequests Are Included in Pennybacker Will," ''The Austin American,'' February 8, 1938, page 1
/ref> Sam Houston State University
/ref>

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pennybacker, Anna 1861 births 1938 deaths American women activists American educators American historians Writers from Missouri Writers from Texas American women historians Clubwomen Texas State Historical Association charter members

Personal

Activities

Legacy

References

Further reading

External links