Bethann Beall Faris Van Ness (May 26, 1902 – December 23, 1993) was an American writer. She wrote religious books for children, and was executive director of the

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swit ...

in Nashville. She was also manager of the

Nashville Symphony The Nashville Symphony is an American symphony orchestra, based in Nashville, Tennessee. The orchestra is resident at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. History In 1920, prior to the 1946 founding of the Nashville Symphony, a group of amateur a ...

Early life and education

Bethann Faris was born in

Mount Carmel, Illinois Mount Carmel is a city in and the county seat of Wabash County, Illinois, United States. At the time of the 2020 census, the population was 7,015, and it is the largest city in the county. The next largest town in Wabash County is Allendale, ...

, and raised in Philadelphia, the daughter of John Thomson Faris and Clara Carter Faris. Her father, a clergyman, wrote several books about the American West. She graduated from

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

in 1924, and was a member of

Phi Beta Kappa The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States. It was founded in 1776 at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, ...

. She pursued further studies at the Tennessee School of Social Work.

Career

Faris worked for the Presbyterian

Sunday School ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

Board in Philadelphia from 1924 to 1928. She moved to Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville after she married, and worked at a publishing house there. During World War II, she wrote articles about the YWCA's war work for the ''Tennessee Banner''. Despite having no musical training, Van Ness was manager of the Nashville Symphony from 1953 to 1961. She was executive director of the Nashville YWCA from 1961. She was deputy commissioner of the Girl Scout Council, a charter member of the

Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

, active in the

Red Cross The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 16million volunteering, volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ...

, and taught Sunday School at Immanuel Baptist Church in Nashville.

Publications

Van Ness wrote books for children, many of them published by the

Southern Baptist Convention The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestant, and the second-largest Chr ...

's Sunday School Board. ''Eagle Boy'' (1971) is about "a Tsimshian Indian boy growing up in Alaska in the 1940s". * ''This is My Bible'' (1944) * ''My Family and I'' (1948) * ''The Talking Penny'' (1953) * ''The Bible Story Book'' (1963, illustrated by Harold Minton) * ''Eagle Boy'' (1971) * ''Bible Stories for Children'' (audio recordings, 1976)

Personal life

Bethann Faris married Noble Van Ness in 1928; he was an editor and manager at the Baptist Sunday School Board. They had three children. The Van Nesses retired to

Vinalhaven, Maine Vinalhaven is a New England town, town in Knox County, Maine, Knox County, Maine, United States. Its town limits include the island of Vinalhaven, the largest of the Fox Islands, and smaller islands, some accessible from Vinalhaven Island by bri ...

in 1965. Her husband died in 1976, and she died in 1993, in

Rockland, Maine Rockland is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Maine, United States. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the town population was 6,936. The city is a popular tourist destination. It is a departure point for the Maine S ...

, aged 91 years.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Ness, Bethann Beall Faris 1902 births 1993 deaths YWCA leaders Wellesley College alumni Writers from Nashville, Tennessee 20th-century American women writers