Anna Pennybacker Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Anna Hardwicke (Mrs. Percy) Pennybacker, activist and author, was born in Virginia, moved first to Kansas before moving to Texas in 1878. She graduated from the first class of Sam Houston Normal School, continued her education in Europe, and subsequently taught grammar and high school for 14 years, including some sessions at the Chautauqua Summer Assembly. She was also active in women’s club activities, serving as president of the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs, and as president and then board member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. A pacifist and suffragist, she was involved in the Chautauqua movement and served as a correspondent for several newspapers at the League of Nations meetings in Geneva. She also lectured extensively across the nation. Pennybacker wrote and published A New History of Texas for Schools, which was adopted by the Texas Legislature for use in public schools from 1898 through 1913