The Bethune Foundation
The home of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune is located on the campus of the University she founded in 1904. Formerly known as “The Retreat,” her home is now known as the Bethune Foundation.
Constructed in 1915 and purchased for Dr. Bethune through the generosity of long-time supporters Thomas H. White, a sewing machine magnate, and James M. Gamble, founder of Proctor & Gamble, the building was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974 by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is recognized as a Heritage Landmark by The United Methodist Church.
The home is filled with Dr. Bethune’s personal belongings, papers, photographs and memorabilia as well as the period furnishings she used in her daily life and when she entertained visitors including Eleanor Roosevelt.
A major renovation and restoration project was completed in 2012 to protect and preserve this historic building and its contents.
If you would like to support these efforts to protect and preserve Dr. Bethune’s home and belongings for generations to come, please contribute to the Bethune Foundation today! For information on contributing to the Foundation, please contact Margaret Symonette at (386) 481-2122 or email her at symonettem@cookman.edu.
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