Biography
Early Life.
Anna E. Hall was an African American Methodist deaconess and missionary who spent her life helping others. People in her community called her an “angel of mercy” and a “servant of God” because of her kind heart and hard work. She served people in both Georgia and Liberia, Africa, making a difference wherever she went.
Hall grew up in Bainbridge, Georgia, with her parents Sarah Sutton and Simon Hall. They taught her to love God from a young age, which gave her strong faith that would guide her whole life. While she was a student at Clark University (now called Clark Atlanta University), Hall knew she wanted to help people in other countries as a missionary. She finished college on May 12, 1892, but couldn’t start her church work right away because her family needed help and she didn’t have enough money.
Instead, Hall became a teacher. She taught school for one year in Ormund, Florida, then moved to Jesup, Georgia, where she worked as the principal of Jesup School for four years. This experience helped her learn how to lead and teach others.
Training for Mission Work
With help from people who believed in her, Hall went to the New England Deaconess Training School in Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated on May 22, 1901, making history as the first African American to finish this school and be sent to Africa by the Methodist Episcopal Church. After graduation, she worked at Lloyd Street Methodist Church in Atlanta for five years, from 1901 to 1906.
Life-Changing Work in Africa
In December 1906, Hall began her most important work in Monrovia, Liberia. She started by teaching the Kru people for a year. Then, for the next 24 years, she ran the Garraway Mission Training School for the Methodist Church. Anna lived simply and worked as many things: teacher, nurse, dentist, farmer, and doctor.
Hall’s work went far beyond just teaching Bible stories. She taught women and girls practical skills they needed for daily life. She showed them how to stay clean and healthy, take care of babies, sew clothes, and make their homes nice. She used her medical training to help people as a nurse and dentist, caring for those who were sick or hurt.
Recognition and Honor
After 25 years of service, people began to recognize Hall’s amazing work. On October 14, 1951, the Methodist Church gave her a license to preach. The Delta Chapter of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority named her Woman of the Year in Religion. Two places were named after her: the Anna E. Hall Methodist Church in Garraway, Liberia, and apartment buildings at Gammon Theological Seminary.
In 1955, the country of Liberia honored Hall by inviting her to watch William V. S. Tubman become president. President Tubman gave her a special award called Commander of the Liberian Humane Order on January 4, 1956.
Coming Home
When Hall retired from her work in Liberia, she moved back to Atlanta, Georgia. People in both Atlanta and Liberia loved her so much they called her “Mama Hall.” Even in retirement, she kept helping others by visiting hospitals, prisons, and homes of people who needed care. Anna E. Hall showed that one person with faith and determination can touch many lives and make the world a better place.
