Did You Know?

Hallie Paxson was born on March 7, 1865, one month before the end of the American Civil War.  Both her father and grandfather were Presbyterian ministers. She graduated from Synodical College in Fulton, Missouri, in 1884 and four years later married William C. Winsborough, an attorney practicing in St. Louis. A social activist within the Christian tradition, she was actively involved in investigating the living and working conditions of immigrants in St. Louis.  She was also active in the women’s work of Central Presbyterian Church and in 1910 was embarrassed when she learned that the PCUS was the only major denomination without an overarching organization for local church women’s groups. 

Another member of her church, Jennie Hanna, had successfully led a number of women to organize themselves into “presbyterials” and “synodicals.”  Winsborough joined forces with them and in 1910 wrote a paper entitled “Some Reasons Why a Woman Secretary is Needed,” in which she advocated for a denomination-wide organization.  In 1912, amidst considerable publicity, the General Assembly approved this overture.  In August 1912 the four executive secretaries of the PCUS met with women from across the denomination in Montreat and the Woman’s Auxiliary was born with Hallie Winsborough as its first superintendent.

A strong proponent of social justice, she led the Auxiliary to work toward greater inclusion of Black Presbyterians into the denomination and to support Black education.  The Auxiliary organized the ”Colored Woman’s Conference,” held annually beginning in 1916 at Stillman Institute.  Five years later smaller such conferences were held in many synods of the UPUS.

The Auxiliary also began a school for girls at Stillman that grew into a high school.  In addition it funded the Emily Estes Snedecor Nurses’ Training School, also on the campus of Stillman, that operated from 1930-1946. Outside of the UPUS, Winsborough served on the Commission on Church and Race Relations and the Interracial Commission of Atlanta; she was also a charter member of the Association of Southern Women for the Prevention of Lynching.  Although she retired from her role with the Woman’s Auxiliary in 1929, she remained active in social justice issues until her death.

The above picture, undated, shows Hallie Winsborough with R. C. Anderson on one of her many visits to Montreat.

Thanks to the Presbyterian Heritage Center, especially Nancy Midgette, for this glimpse from the past. Stop by the PHC for even more Montreat history and so much more.