Mary Baker Eddy: Her Indelible Mark

Mary Baker Eddy

Mary Baker Eddy, http://www.marybakereddy.org, born in rural New England in the 1800's, overcame many hurdles to become an acclaimed author, publisher, and religious leader whose impact is still being felt today. In 1995, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame for “making an indelible mark on society, religion, and journalism.” How did this independent New England woman rise from obscurity to become, as Human Life magazine described in 1907, "the most famous, interesting and powerful woman in America, if not the world, today"?

Eddy (1821-1910) was born and raised on a farm near Concord, New Hampshire, in the United States. Because of many bouts of illness, she received most of her education at home, sometimes with the help her brother, Albert, a student at Dartmouth College. This turned out to be an advantage, given the many restrictions on women’s education in 19th century America.

She experienced some difficult years as a young woman. She was widowed (and pregnant) six months into her first marriage. Some six years later, her family, thinking her rambunctious son was too taxing for her, removed him from her and sent him to live with foster parents. Hoping to regain a stable home life for herself and her son, she married again, but eventually divorced her unfaithful second husband. In poor health during much of this time, she experimented with allopathic medicine and alternative therapies -- particularly with homeopathy. She was seeking an understanding of the relationship between mind, body, and spirit. Simultaneously, she continued a life-long study