Carrie Eliza Meares was born January 28, 1899, in Fountain Inn, South Carolina. She earned an A.B. in education from Winthrop College in Rock Hill, South Carolina in 1919. After graduation, Meares spent two years teaching in the primary grades in the Rombert, South Carolina public schools, 1919-21.
She went to New York City to study for a diploma in religious education at Biblical Seminary, 1921-23, then joined the staff of the YWCA at the Mississippi State College for Women. She taught Bible at the College, 1923-25. She returned to New York to attend Teachers College at Columbia University, 1925-26, earning an M.A. in religious education in 1926.
In 1926 Meares joined the national YWCA staff, working as a Student Secretary in the central region, 1926-28, and southern region, 1926-34. Meares returned again to New York City to pursue a BS in library science at Pratt Institute. She then served seven years as Librarian Consultant at Teachers College; and did additional graduate work in education at Columbia (1934-35), at Pratt Institute of Library Science, Brooklyn (1935-36), and Columbia University School of Library Science. During this time she also worked half time as a Personnel Secretary and then a volunteer for the National Student Council of the YWCA.
From 1944 to 1948, Meares was Secretary for personnel standards and practices in the Leadership Services Division of the YWCA of the U.S.A., working with community YWCAs to establish fair policies and procedures for their professional staff members.
Meares joined the staff of the World YWCA in 1950, going to South Africa to strengthen YWCAs in Durban and Port Elizabeth, extending the work of the YWCA among non-European groups, and promoting consolidation between European and non-European groups. She also carried out exploratory service in Uganda and Kenya.
On returning to the U.S., Meares became Executive Director first of the Baltimore YWCA, circa 1953-55, and then Rochester, circa 1955-60. She returned to Africa circa 1960, under the auspices of the YWCA of the U.S.A.'s International Division as an Adult Education Specialist in Ethiopia.
Meares served as National Director of Church Women United's "Assignment: Race, 1961-64" program, a three-year project in race relations. Meares retired from the YWCA in the summer of 1964.
Carrie Eliza Meares died April 14, 1982, at Foulkeways in Gwynedd, Pennsylvania.
The Carrie Eliza Meares Papers consist of .5 linear ft. and are primarily related to her professional and public life, dating from 1932 to 1982. Types of materials include correspondence, memorabilia, press releases, reports, journal and newspaper articles, and subject files.
The bulk of the papers date from 1947 to 1963 and focus on Meares' work in South Africa for the World YWCA, 1950-53; in Ethiopia for the YWCA of the U.S.A., 1960-61; and on the August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
The Papers include general background reference on South Africa, Ethiopia, and race relations, as well as correspondence, reports, financial records, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia from Meares' work. In addition to official reports and correspondence, the files contain some personal correspondence with reflections on Meares' experiences in Africa.
The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection without any additional restrictions.
Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." Copyright ownership of Carrie Eliza Meares' writings is unknown. Copyright to materials authored by persons other than Carrie Eliza Meares may be owned by those individuals or their heirs or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use" must also be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection as owners of the physical property.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
Carrie Eliza Meares Papers, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.
The Carrie Eliza Meares Papers came to the Sophia Smith Collection with the Records of the YWCA of the U.S.A. in 2002. The YWCA received them from Meares' longtime housemate Mildred Roe in 1985.
Processed by Maida Goodwin, 2009
Associated material located in the