Norfolk, Virginia native Mary Smith Peake (1823 -1862) was an American teacher and humanitarian. In the fall of 1861, Peake started a school for the children of former slaves under what became known as the Emancipation Oak tree in Hampton, Virginia. The site is located on the grounds of present-day Hampton University. When the American Missionary Association began building schools for freed slaves— or “contraband”— during the war, Peake was the first teacher the organization hired. A sudden illness struck her, however, and she only lived five months after her appointment. Peake taught from her sick bed until her final days.
Image courtesy of the Hampton University Museum Archives
