Along Came Mary—Child Advocate Raises Children and Consciousness in GR
When Mary Hefferan was a teenager her father, Thomas, moved the family from its home in Eastmanville to a house on Fountain Street in Grand Rapids. Thomas made his mark in the lumber industry and used his financial expertise to open the Peoples Savings Bank. Young Mary graduated from Central High School in 1892 and set out to forge a career in academic science, earning bachelor's and master's degrees from Wellesley College in Boston (she is shown here during her college years). She followed up with a Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Chicago with a dissertation on bacteriology. It all seemed natural—Mary grew up raising and picking vegetables, shucking corn, milking cows, and learning all she could about what went into the land and how to care for it. Still, her accomplishments in Chicago were considered rare at the time for a woman. Hefferan raised the bar higher by taking a teaching position at the University and serving as editor of its Botanical Gazette. Although she never married Hefferan maintained a strong bond with her family throughout her life. When her mother died in 1910 Mary returned to Grand Rapids to tend to her father. When he and her brother, George, passed away a few years later Mary moved into George's home and took custody of her two nephews. She later adopted a son, Albert. It was around this time her career goals shifted. Raising three children gave her perspective on the challenges young people faced at that time, many of whom did not have families of their own. Mary worked to change this. While never abandoning her love of science, she took on a range of social service commitments, describing herself as "a perennial in the garden of voluntary social work." Her efforts included work with the D.A. Blodgett Home for Children and the Federation of Social Agencies (the forerunner to the Community Chest). In 1942 she became the first woman to receive the Annual Community Chest Award. The recognition honored her 25 years of service. Mary Hefferan left to tend to her eternal garden in 1948 but the seeds she planted as a child advocate are still bearing fruit.
Source: Grand Rapids History Center Archives
Original source can be found here.
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