Alice Blanchard Coleman (born as Merriam; writing name, Mrs. George W. Coleman; May 7, 1858 – October 22, 1936) was a leader in an American group that helped spread religious beliefs. She led the Woman's American Baptist Home Mission Society and the Council of Women for Home Missions from 1908 to 1916. Coleman was a member of the board for Hartshorn Memorial College in Richmond, Virginia; Spelman Seminary (now called Spelman College) in Atlanta, Georgia; and the New England Baptist Hospital in Boston. Using the name "Mrs. George W. Coleman," she wrote two articles for magazines: "The Women's Congress of Missions" in 1915 and "Recent developments in Mormonism" in 1918. Coleman lived her entire life in the old South End of Boston.
Early life and education
Alice Blanchard Merriam was born on May 7, 1858, in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father was James Whyte Merriam (1828–1881), who worked for the Boston City Missionary Society. Her mother was Ellen Maria (Blanchard) Merriam, who died in 1896. Alice had one sibling, a sister named Helen Whyte Merriam, who was born in 1868.
In 1873, Alice graduated from Everett Grammar School. Soon after, she traveled abroad with her parents for nine months, spending much of the time in London and Paris. During this time, she eagerly studied subjects related to her grammar school education, especially the history of England. In September 1874, she began attending Bradford Academy (later called Bradford College) in Bradford, Massachusetts. This was the oldest school in New England for young women. At the school, she studied under Miss Annie E. Johnson, the principal, who was a well-known educator at the time. During her four years at the academy, Alice developed a strong interest in missionary work and decided she wanted to become a foreign missionary.
She graduated from Bradford Academy in 1878. She planned to study Latin and Greek for one year to prepare for college at Smith College. However, her eyes, which had been a source of concern, worsened again. Because of this, she could no longer continue her studies or pursue work that required learning languages.
Career
In the fall of 1879, the Woman's Home Missionary Association (Congregational) was created in Boston with the help of Annie E. Johnson, who had once been her teacher. The group aimed to carry out educational and missionary work for women and children in the United States, especially among different racial and religious groups. This opportunity allowed Coleman to begin her lifelong work in home missions. In 1884, the association asked her to visit all its work areas to prepare for speaking to churches about their efforts. Her journey took her as far west as Utah and as far south as Texas, including work with African Americans, Native Americans, Mormons, and pioneer communities. The following year, she visited churches across the country, marking the start of her speaking career.
In 1886, Coleman changed her church affiliation to a Baptist congregation and joined the board of directors for the Woman's American Baptist Home Mission Society. This move allowed her to continue her work in home missions and speaking to churches. She also spent time on other church-related activities. In 1891, she became president of the Woman's American Baptist Home Mission Society and held this role until April 1911. At that time, the society in Boston merged with another group in Chicago to form a new national organization. Coleman became the first vice president of the new group and led the New England Branch of the Woman's American Baptist Home Mission Society, which organized inspiring meetings and supported the society's work locally.
In December 1906, the Interdenominational Committee of Women for Home Mission Conferences for the East was formed to organize a summer conference in Northfield, Massachusetts. Coleman served as president of this committee for the first three years and later remained a member of its leadership.
By 1908, similar committees in other regions led to the creation of the Council of Women for Home Missions. Coleman became its first president and held this position until 1916.
Coleman’s work in home missions connected her to schools and colleges for African Americans in the South. She served as a trustee for Hartshorn Memorial College in Richmond, Virginia, and Spelman Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. She also worked as a trustee for the New England Baptist Hospital in Boston.
She was president of the Massachusetts Council for Patriotic Service and vice president of the International Council for Patriotic Service. Coleman supported events like the Ford Hall meetings in Boston and the Sagamore Sociological Conference, which met each summer at their summer home, though she was not officially involved. For several years, she also worked as a non-resident volunteer at Denison House, a settlement house for women in a neighborhood with many Syrian and Italian residents.
Coleman supported the right of women to vote. She was a member of the Twentieth Century Club and served as president of the Women's City Club.
Personal life
On June 30, 1891, she married George W. Coleman from Boston. They did not have any children.
Alice Blanchard Merriam Coleman died on October 22, 1936.