BENETA MCHIE AND FAMILY:

Beneta Amelia Edwards was born in Saint Paul to a prominent African American family on June 4, 1913. Her family had a tradition of involvement in the education of women and minorities, and in social justice issues.

Beneta graduated from McKinley Elementary and Mechanic Arts High School in Saint Paul before attending Hamline University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1935. She married John McHie, Jr., and the couple had two children: John McHie III (1945-2011) and Benjamin McHie (1948- ). Beneta was engaged with the community both as a student, where she was especially interested in theater, and throughout her later life. In her youth, she participated in programs at the Hallie Q. Brown Center and took piano lessons from the MacPhail School of Music. Her involvements as an adult spanned a wide range of groups, including the Adelphai Club, the Credjafawn Club, and the Twin City Forty Club; political organizations, including the Governors Human Rights Commission; and church groups such as the Saint Agnes Guild of Saint Thomas Episcopal Church (Minneapolis), where she was organist for over 30 years. She was a long-time member of the National Association of College Women.

Beneta died October 29, 1989.

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The collection includes photographs of McHie and her husband, John, at local community events and at parties; the Nacirema Club, a Detroit, Michigan African American social club; as well as images of John McHie and fellow Shriners in official garb. Materials also include bylaws of the Twin Cities branch of the National Association of College Women, an organization interested in promoting a closer union among college-educated women, addressing educational barriers in the black community, and stimulating intellectual attainment in the Twin Cities community. The collection also includes photographs, membership certificates, and historical information regarding the formation of the Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, an African American congregation in Minneapolis.

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Access Restrictions:

Originals are closed. Access and use requires the curator's permission. Please consult reference staff for more information.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Beneta McHie and family papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 17,010; 17,101; 17,247; 17,351

Processing Information:

Digitized by: Minnesota Historical Society, June 2018

Catalog ID number: 990086267820104294

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

African American churches -- Minnesota.

African Americans -- Minnesota.

African Americans -- Societies, etc.

Persons:

McHie, John L., Jr., 1912-1991.

Organizations:

Adelphai Club (Saint Paul, Minn.), author.

Credjafawn Social Club (Saint Paul, Minn.), author.

Mechanic Arts High School (Saint Paul, Minn.), author.

National Association of College Women (U.S.), author.

Pilgrim Baptist Church (Saint Paul, Minn.), author.

Saint Thomas Episcopal Church (Minneapolis, Minn.).

Twin City Forty Club (Minn.), author.

Document Types:

Photographs.

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