Mary L. Jobe Akeley
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| Mary Jobe was born on the family farm in Tappan, Ohio, to Richard Watson Jobe and Sarah Jane Pittis. She graduated from Bryn Mawr and received her Master's degree from Columbia. While she was an instructor in history at Hunter College, she was commissioned by the Canadian Government to study the customs and history of Eskimos and Indian tribes.
She mapped the headwaters of the Fraser River, then returned to the Canadian Northwest to explore uncharted mountains, one of which was later named in her honor. In 1914, prompted by her love of the outdoor life, Mary purchased a 45 acre tract of land in Mystic, Connecticut where she made her home. There, Mary established "Camp Mystic" for girls, a place where girls, ages 8-18 would "develop their bodies and minds." The camp operated every summer from 1916-1930, when it closed due to the effects of the Great Depression. Her first trip to Africa was in 1924 with her husband, Carl Ethan Akeley, renowned explorer, natural scientist, sculptor, photographer and inventor. Akeley Africa Hall, a wing of the Museum of Natural History, was named for him. Two years after their marriage, and while on an expedition, Carl Akeley died and was buried in the mountains of the Congo. Mrs. Akeley took charge of his expedition, photographing wild animals in their natural habitat. She was named adviser in the development of Africa Hall and received from King Albert of Belgium the Cross of the Knight, Order of the Crown. Mary Akeley was one of the earliest observers of the loss of Africa's wildlife to hunters and became a crusader for game preserves. At age 64, she returned to Africa for the last time to visit her husband's grave. She died at her "Great Hill" home in Mystic at the age of 80. Many of her photographs and papers are now housed in the Mystic River Historical Society. | |||||||||||
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