Cora Ann Pair Thomas (1875–1952) was a Baptist missionary, serving in Liberia from 1909 until her death in 1952. She is the grandmother of playwright and author Cori Thomas and the mother of former Liberian Ambassador David M. Thomas Cori’s father.

Biography

Thomas née Pair was born in

Knightdale, North Carolina Knightdale is a town in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Knightdale has a population of 19,435. That's up from 11, 401 in 2010 . The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town's population to be 17,843 as of July 1, ...

, on September 8, 1875. She graduated from

Shaw University Shaw University is a private Baptist historically black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. Founded on December 1, 1865, Shaw University is the oldest HBCU to begin offering courses in ...

in 1895. She then worked as a principal of an orphanage in Oxford, North Carolina, until she entered

Fisk University Fisk University is a private historically black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1930, Fisk was the first Africa ...

in 1904, where she received missionary training. In 1908 she married Reverend William Henry Thomas (1881-1942). The same year the couple traveled Brewerville,

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

under the auspices of the Lott Carey Convention (LCC). While William supervised the Brewerville mission Cora taught at the Lott Carey Mission School. William became a Liberian citizen while Cora retain her American citizenship. The couple worked together for 33 years, until William's death in 1942. After the death of her husband, Cora took over as the superintendent of the Brewerville mission. In 1946 she left Liberia due to poor health, returning in 1951 with a pilgrimage group. Thomas died of malaria on May 10, 1952, in Brewerville, Liberia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Cora Ann Pair 1875 births 1952 deaths African-American missionaries People from North Carolina American Protestant missionaries American expatriates in Liberia Shaw University alumni Fisk University alumni American women educators American educators