Re: John W. Leath/Bessie Gill Leath
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In reply to:
John W. Leath/Bessie Gill Leath
10/15/01
I am looking for information and photos of Mary Alice Leath, daughter of John and Bessie. She apparently married a man named Stewart around 1930 and I would like to find out more about that marriage. I have the following information about her:
Mary Alice Leath was born on 25 February 1905 in Hazelhurst, Jeff Davis County, Georgia, the daughter of John William and Bessie Gill Leath. John was a merchant in 1910 and 1920. Mary studied at the Georgia State College for Women, Duke University and the Women's College University of North Carolina where she studied under Gregory Dowler Ivy. Mary was married to a man named Stewart, probably before 1930. She wrote a book titled Correlating Art With Other School Subjects,under the name Mary Leath Stewart, which was published by the Duke University Press in 1935, so likely had been a teacher for some time by then. She taught in Albemarle, North Carolina Public Schools, Federal Women's College, NC, University of Georgia, etc., and became an art teacher in Greensboro, North Carolina schools in the Fall of 1936. Her art was part of an exhibition held by the Fairmont Women's Fine Art Department in Lumberton, NC in 1942 so she did work under the name Mary Stewart or Mary Leath Stewart. A possible example of her work under the name Mary Stewart may be viewed on AskArt.com. The notice of the Lumberton exhibition stated that she was assistant art professor at the Womens College of the University of North Carolina. Mary married Howard Wilber Thomas, also an artist, about 1945. Mary exhibited widely under both the name Mary Leath Stewart and Mary Leath Thomas and won several awards for her work. It is possible that she may also have done some work as Mary Leath. Examples of signatures from her work indicate that she did not use her maiden name in her signature after her first marriage. She is listed in Who Was Who in American Art by Falk, several editions of Who's Who in American Art, Davenports Art Reference and Price Guide, Women Artists in America by Collins, and other reference works. She is "listed" on AskArt.com, ArtPrice.com, etc.
Mary Leath Thomas died on 3 May 1959 in Athens, Georgia and is buried in the Lakeside Cemetery in Conway, Horry County, South Carolina, near her parents.