Mary Brennan Karl (1893–1948) was an American educator who founded the school that would become

Daytona State College Daytona State College (DSC) is a public college with its main campus in Daytona Beach, Florida. DSC also has 6 smaller regional campuses throughout Volusia and Flagler counties. It is part of the Florida College System. The college offers more ...

. In 2011, she was inducted into the

Florida Women's Hall of Fame The Florida Women's Hall of Fame is an honor roll of women who have contributed to life for citizens of the US state of Florida. An awards ceremony for the hall of fame was first held in 1982 and recipient names are displayed in the Florida State ...

Biography

Mary Karl was born in Harbor Beach, Michigan, and was a graduate of the Noble School of Elocution in Detroit and the Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1921 she married Fred Karl, who was a co-owner of the telephone system in Harbor Beach with his father and moved to Volusia County, Florida. She began her educational career teaching business courses in the Volusia County school system. Karl later became a business teacher at the Opportunity school in 1931, a

vocational school A vocational school is a type of educational institution, which, depending on the country, may refer to either secondary or post-secondary education designed to provide vocational education or technical skills required to complete the tasks ...

. She expanded the courses offered at the school, and led it through a period of large growth, becoming the director of the school in 1937. Throughout

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Karl and the Opportunity school trained thousands of people, teaching citizens how to work in defense industries. As World War II began to end, the school transitioned to a school specifically for veterans. In the post-war aftermath, Karl, supported by the local newspaper and political leaders, as well as working with

Mary McLeod Bethune Mary Jane McLeod Bethune ( McLeod; July 10, 1875 – May 18, 1955) was an American educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, Womanism, womanist, and civil rights activist. Bethune founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935, established th ...

and meeting with

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

, convinced the

War Assets Administration The War Assets Administration (WAA) was created to dispose of United States government-owned surplus material and property from World War II. The WAA was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by Executive Ord ...

to donate the Welch center, a complex consisting of fifty-five buildings (classrooms, a library, cafeteria and dormitories), and an

Olympic swimming pool An Olympic-size swimming pool conforms to regulated dimensions that are large enough for international competition. This type of swimming pool is used in the Olympic Games, where the race course is in length, typically referred to as "long cour ...

to Volusia County. The county's board voted to name the school the Mary Karl Vocational school. Karl died in 1948. Though it had always been Karl's long-term goal to have the school become part of the State University System of Florida or a

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

, neither happened in her life. However, shortly after her death,

Daytona Beach Community College Daytona State College (DSC) is a public college with its main campus in Daytona Beach, Florida. DSC also has 6 smaller regional campuses throughout Volusia and Flagler counties. It is part of the Florida College System. The college offers more ...

was built. The school later merged with the Mary Karl Vocational school to become

. The school still houses the Mary Karl Memorial Learning Resources Center.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karl, Mary Brennan 1893 births 1948 deaths 20th-century American educators Florida Women's Hall of Fame Inductees