Benjamin Elijah Mays (1894 - 1984)

Born 1 Aug 1894 in Greenwood, South Carolina, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Ellen Edith Harvin — married Aug 1920 in Newport News, Virginia, United States

Husband of Sadie (Gray) Mays — married 9 Aug 1926 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States

Died 28 Mar 1984 at age 89 in Fulton, Georgia, United States

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Biography

Benjamin Mays is Notable.

Benjamin Mays was awarded the Spingarn Medal for outstanding achievement by an African American.

Benjamin Elijah Mays was a civil rights leader and the 6th President of Morehouse College.

Benjamin was born on 1 August 1894^[1] in South Carolina, United States, to Hezekiah Mays Sr (1856 - 1938) and Luvenia (Carter) Mays (1862 - 1938). He is the youngest of 7 siblings^[2].

His older siblings, in order, are Thomas Mays (1875-), Jim Mays (1877-), Susie (Mays) Glenn (1878-1971), Sarah Mays (1882-), Mary F Mays (1884-), John Henry Mays (1892-), and Hezekiah H Mays Jr (1893-1960). He lived with his parents in Brooks, Greenwood, South Carolina, through at least 1910.^[2][3]

Mays attended Bates College, in Lewiston, Maine from 1917-1920, after professors at Virginia Union University, where he began his undergraduate schooling, encouraged him to attend schools in the North. After Bates, Benjamin attended the University of Chicago and recieved his M.A. in 1925 and PhD. in 1935.

Benjamin first married Ellen Edith Harvin (1895-1923). She died roughly two years into their marriage.

Benjamin married Sadie Gray on 9 August 1926 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States.^[4]

While president of Morehouse College, Dr. Mays mentored many students, including Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968). King and Mays had an agreement that whichever of the pair outlived the other would give the deceased's eulogy. Both assumed King would provide the eulogy for Mays, given their 35 year age difference. Rather, Mays provided the eulogy for King after his assassination, entitled "No Man is Ahead of his Time".

Benjamin died on 28 March 1984 in Atlanta, Georgia,^[5] and is buried at the Morehouse College campus in Atlanta.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VSYZ-7PB : 8 January 2021), Benjamin Mays, Mar 1984; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} 1900 Census: "United States Census, 1900"
   citing Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: T623; Line: 30; Digital film/folder number: 004120559; FHL microfilm: 1241530; Image number: 983; Sheet number: 10; Sheet letter: A; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N00847-9
   FamilySearch Record: M3TS-Q2W (accessed 28 January 2024)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-XX6Q-WXZ
   Sarah May (18), single daughter, in household of Hesikah May (45) in Brooks Township, Greenwood, South Carolina, United States. Born in South Carolina.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M566-Y92 : accessed 1 July 2020), Bennie Mays in household of Hesikah Mays, Brooks, Greenwood, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 74, sheet 6B, family 13, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1458; FHL microfilm 1,375,471.

   Hesikah Mays Head Male 53 South Carolina

   Louvinia Mays Wife Female 45 South Carolina

   Joshua Mays Son Male 20 South Carolina

   Hesikah Mays Son Male 18 South Carolina

   Bennie Mays Son Male 15 South Carolina

   Robert P Mays Son Male 6 South Carolina

4. ↑ "Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1920," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q21V-CXD2 : 28 November 2018), Benjamin E Mays and Sadie M Gray, 09 Aug 1926; citing Marriage, Cook, Illinois, United States, citing Cook County Clerk. Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 102071037.
5. ↑ "Georgia Death Index, 1933-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V43L-ZL6 : 24 December 2014), Benjamin E Mays, 28 Mar 1984; from "Georgia Deaths, 1919-98," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2001); citing Fulton, Georgia, certificate number 010531, Georgia Health Department, Office of Vital Records, Atlanta.
6. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18834/benjamin-elijah-mays : accessed 9 March 2022), memorial page for Dr Benjamin Elijah Mays (1 Aug 1894–28 Mar 1984), Find A Grave: Memorial #18834.

See also:

• Wikipedia: Benjamin Mays
• Wikidata: Item Q817616, en:Wikipedia
• Roper, John Herbert (2012). The magnificent Mays : a biography of Benjamin Elijah Mays. Columbia: The University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 9781611170771.