Page Eight
THE STATE
June 2, 1934
'MISS JENNIE fficRIM”
THAT'S whot Com Morrison used to call her, and the name has
stuck. Mrs. McKimmon is regarded by many os one of the out¬
standing women this state ever hos produced. Her services omong
the rural population have been of inestimable value.
By ALICE DUGGER GRIMES
FEW individual*- whether they be
men of women — have done more
for the advancement nf woman¬
hood in tho rural taction* of North
Carolina than Mrs. Jane Simpson Mc¬
Kimmon—1 “Mi!
«
Jennie McKim as
Governor Cameron Morrison used to
call her.
She represents an interesting study;
interesting as it concerns her work and
also from a rharacter standpoint. Tt
has been my privilege to have known
her for many years.
Writing of Mrs. Jane Simpson Mc¬
Kimmon, my thoughts hark hack to the
days when she was Jennie Simpson.
Her girlhood home was one of re¬
finement and culture. Her father. Mr.
William Simpson, was known, not
only throughout North Carolina hut
nationally, as an outstanding pharma¬
cist. being at one time president of
the National Pharmaceutical Associa¬
tion ; a handsome man, gifted in music,
with n most attractive personality.
No girl had a lovelier mother, lovely
in all things pertaining to real mother¬
hood.
Пег
uncle, Mr. John Simpson, was
a recognized authority in musical in¬
struction throughout the state, and
very scholarly. He was blind from an
accident received in childhood. One
of the greatest factors in the youthful
upbringing of Jennie Simpson — Mrs.
McKimmon — was the hour spent each
day rending to her Uncle John,
coupled with his comments on the
reading. For years these readings were
beyond her. but persistently she read
Thr Atlantic Monthly . The Eclectic.
technical books, history, etc., realizing
even then that a taste for good litera¬
ture is acquired by diligence, not be-
s towed as a gift.
One of the main pleasures nf our
childhood days was the spending of
a night in the home of a friend, and
1 have no sweeter memory than of
those Friday nights I spent in the
Simpson home. Plainly I see Mrs.
Simpson seated with Bible in hand, and
each of u* in our long nightgowns,
listening intently to a chapter from the
MISS JENNIE McKIM*
- ★ -
New Testament read with so much un¬
derstanding and with so much faith;
then kneeling for a short, sweet, in¬
formal prayer, a kiss, then a scamper
to bed. And what stories Jennie would
tell her sister Annie and me, all snug¬
gled up in bod.
1 am writing most intimately of Mrs.
McKimmon’s early home life for she
is the product of that home: a girl who
many years later was to carry this
“sweetness and light” into the homes of
thousands of burdened and bent country
women.
At Peace Institute Jennie Simpson
was an outstanding student, and at six¬
teen was the youngest graduate ever to
have received a diploma from Peace.
At that time her desire was for an
exhaustive study of drawing and paint¬
ing. So highly did her art teacher at
Peace think of Jennie Simpson’s talent
that she ardently desired to take her to
New York and put her in touch with
the highest art authorities, hut Mr.
Simpson did not like the idea of a New
York career for his daughter, so Jennie
remained at home.
Talented also in music, she Used her
coni ralto voice for years in Christ
Church choir. Raleigh, also in numerous
concerts for charity throughout the
state. In her own home, as Mrs. Charles
McKimmon, her voice gave great pleas¬
ure to many friends. Her little man¬
nerisms and her happy selections of
captivating melodies always made her a
prune favorite. She married Mr.
( -harles McKimmon when only eighteen
years of age. and an interesting family
of three boys and one girl grew up
around her.
Because of financial reverses she
stepped from these pleasant surround¬
ings into the arena of work and in 1008
was made Director of Women’s Insti¬
tutes in the Division of Farmers’ In¬
stitutes.
In 1010 Miss Marie Cromer, a South
Carolina rural teacher, seeing the in¬
terest farm girls were manifesting in
boys’ corn-club work, consulted Dr. Sea¬
man Knapp as to the advisability of
something similar for farm girls. With
his interest, approval, and suggestions.
Miss Cromer in 1010 organized the first
group of farm girls of the South. This
group was to begin with the “growing
of a tenth-acre of tomatoes and canning
the product of the garden." These girls
were so successful in growing gardens
and canning that Virginia, Mississippi.
North Carolina, and Tennessee decided
to organize farm girls for similar work.
This line of work came within the
scope of T. O. Sehaub, then Corn-Club
Agent in North Carolina. TTpon his
suggestion Mrs. .fane Simpson MeKim-
mon, whose executive ability, interest,
and reliability — plus her unusual mag¬
netism — had impressed him most favor¬
ably, was appointed State Home Dem¬
onstration Agent in November, 1911.
Mrs. McKimmon was told to go ahead
with the appointment of women in the
counties who were to organize farm girls
into community groups and start im¬
mediately on a program of growing a
tenth-acre garden and canning the prod¬
ucts. The first counties organized were
14 in number, with 386 girls enrolled
the first year.
In 1914 home agents numbered 32,
and enrollment was 1,500. Starting
with girls in the 4-H clubs, women soon
clamored for instruction. In 1919 the
total enrollment was 17,389 and the
number of club was 1,064. In 1933 the
total enrollment was 42,139 rural
women and girls, and 1.509 clubs in
whole-time organized work for the farm
home. Among the negroes there are
now 8 homo demonstrators, one being
attached to the state staff and desig¬
nated Negro Home Agent.
The immense amount of work among
rural dwellers accomplished by the
home demonstration work in North
Carolina since 1911 is a record of Mrs.
( Continued on payc twenty-two)
