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'''Mary Williams Mims''' (August 20, 1882 &ndash; November 24, 1967) <ref>''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'' lists her middle name as Williams; her gravestone says "William." It appears that the engraver made an error by omitting the "s" in Williams.</ref>was an [[United States|American]] [[educator]] and pioneering [[rural]] [[Sociology|sociologist]].

'''Mary Williams Mims''' (August 20, 1882 &ndash; November 24, 1967) <ref>''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'' lists her middle name as Williams; her gravestone says "William." It appears that the engraver made an error by omitting the "s" in Williams.</ref>was an [[United States|American]] [[educator]] and pioneering [[rural]] [[Sociology|sociologist]].

Mims was born near [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]] in Webster Parish in northwestern [[Louisiana]], the fourth of eight children of a [[Methodist]] couple, David Samuel Mims (1846-1919), a [[farmer|planter]] originally from Darlington, [[South Carolina]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122462217/david-samuel-mims|title=David Samuel Mims|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=May 17, 2020}}</ref> and the former Mary Eleanora Stewart (1849-1940), a native of [[Alabama]], who was reared in Webster Parish and was a daughter of one of the pioneer settlers of the region. One of Eleanora's brothers, [[William G. Stewart]], a farmer and president of the Webster Parish School Board who was the namesake of the since razed William G. Stewart Elementary School in Minden.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122462312/mary-eleanora-mims|title=Mary Eleanora Stewart Mims|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=May 17, 2020}}</ref>

Mims was born near [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]] in Webster Parish in northwestern [[Louisiana]], the fourth of eight children of a [[Methodist]] couple, David Samuel Mims (1846-1919), a [[farmer|planter]] originally from Darlington, [[South Carolina]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122462217/david-samuel-mims|title=David Samuel Mims|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=May 17, 2020}}</ref> and the former Mary Eleanora Stewart (1849-1940), a native of [[Alabama]], who was reared in Webster Parish and was a daughter of one of the pioneer settlers of the region. One of Eleanora's brothers, [[William G. Stewart]],was a farmer and president of the Webster Parish School Board, who became the namesake of the since razed William G. Stewart Elementary School in Minden.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122462312/mary-eleanora-mims|title=Mary Eleanora Stewart Mims|publisher=Findagrave.com|accessdate=May 17, 2020}}</ref>

In 1902, she received a Bachelor of Industry degree in 1902 from the Louisiana Industrial Institute, the former name of  [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]]. She received additional education in [[New Orleans]] at the Sophie B. Wright School for Girls, now known as the Sophie B. Wright Institute of Academic Excellence. She attended summer terms at George Peabody College in [[Nashville]], [[Tennessee]], the [[University of Colorado]] at Boulder, and [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]], and a number of institutes in [[Europe]]. From 1902 to 1922, she taught or served as principal in Bienville Parish at Gibsland, Ringgold, and Bienville.<ref name=lahist>{{cite web|url=https://www.lahistory.org/resources/dictionary-louisiana-biography/dictionary-louisiana-biography-m/|title=Mims, Mary Williams|publisher=''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'': Louisiana Historical Association|accessdate=May 17, 2020}}</ref>  

In 1902, she received a Bachelor of Industry degree in 1902 from the Louisiana Industrial Institute, the former name of  [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]]. She received additional education in [[New Orleans]] at the Sophie B. Wright School for Girls, now known as the Sophie B. Wright Institute of Academic Excellence. She attended summer terms at George Peabody College in [[Nashville]], [[Tennessee]], the [[University of Colorado]] at Boulder, and [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]], and a number of institutes in [[Europe]]. From 1902 to 1922, she taught or served as principal in Bienville Parish at Gibsland, Ringgold, and Bienville.<ref name=lahist>{{cite web|url=https://www.lahistory.org/resources/dictionary-louisiana-biography/dictionary-louisiana-biography-m/|title=Mims, Mary Williams|publisher=''A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography'': Louisiana Historical Association|accessdate=May 17, 2020}}</ref>