Mary Jane McLeod Bethune (born Mary Jane McLeod; July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955[1]) was an American educator, stateswoman, philanthropist, humanitarian, and civil rights activist best known for starting a private school for African-American students in Daytona Beach, Florida and co-founding UNCF on April 25, 1944 with William Trent and Frederick D. Patterson. She attracted donations of time and money and developed the academic school as a college. It later continued to develop as Bethune-Cookman University.