Mary-Cooke Branch Munford

Mary-Cooke Branch Munford received her primary and secondary education in Richmond and New York. Prevented from attending college by her mother, Munford became an avid reader and developed an active social conscience. She served as the first woman on the Richmond School Board, helped organize the Virginia Inter-Racial Committee, advocated equal educational opportunities, and worked to improve rural high schools. Through her efforts, women were admitted to the College of William and Mary in 1918. She also served as a trustee of the National Child Labor Committee. Munford's work exemplifies the public activism countless women pursued during the Progressive era.