Frances Joseph-Gaudet
| Frances Joseph-Gaudet | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1861 Holmesville, Mississippi |
| Died | December 1934 |
| Occupation | Philanthropist, prison reformer, education reformer |
Frances Joseph-Gaudet (1861 – December 1934) was born in Holmesville, Pike Country, Mississippi.[1] She was of African American (her father was a slave) and Native American descent.[2] Raised by her grandparents, she later went to live with her brother in New Orleans where she attended Straight College. Widowed early, she dedicated her life to social work and worked with the Prison Reform Association assisting prisoners unjustly accused. By profession, she was a seamstress, yet became a major activist in prison and education reform at the turn of the century.[3]
Gaudet dedicated her life to prison reform. In 1894, she started holding prayer meetings for black prisoners.[2] She helped in any way she could, writing and delivering letters, and found them clothing. She later extended this ministry to white prisoners as well.
Her dedication to the imprisoned and to penal reform won her the respect of prison officials, city authorities, the Governor of Louisiana, and the Prison Reform Association. She became a delegate to the Women’s Christian Temperance Union international convention in Edinburgh, Scotland.[1] In 1900, she worked for the reform of young blacks arrested for a misdemeanor or vagrancy.[4] Joseph-Gaudet was the first woman to specifically support juvenile offenders in Louisiana, with her efforts eventually founding the juvenile court.
She purchased a farm and founded the Gaudet Normal and Industrial School, which eventually expanded to reside on 105 acres with numerous buildings.[4] Joseph-Gaudet also provided a boarding school for children with working mothers. Joseph-Gaudet served as the principal of the school until 1921, when she donated the school to the Episcopal Church of Louisiana.[4] The school closed in 1950, however, the Gaudet Episcopal Home opened in the same location in 1954 to serve African American Children ages 4–16.[4] The endowment fund currently supports St. Luke’s Community Center, where a hall honors the legacy of Frances Joseph-Gaudet.[4]
In 1913, Joseph-Gaudet published her autobiography He Leadeth Me.[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bardelmeier, Andrea (2010-12-30). "Frances Joseph Gaudet, Educator and Prison Reformer, 1934". Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music of the Episcopal Church. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Francis Joseph Gaudet: Educator and Prison Reformer, 1934". ritebrain. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
- ↑ "Frances Joseph Gaudet". Saint Luke's Episcopal Church. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Frances Joseph-Gaudet". Episcopal Women's History Project. Satucket.com. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
- ↑ Joseph-Gaudet, Frances (1913). He leadeth me. Louisiana printing co. Retrieved 2013-03-07.