Anna Pennybacker Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Anna Hardwicke (Mrs. Percy) Pennybacker was an author, educator, suffragist, and civic leader. Born in Virginia, she moved to Kansas before settling in Texas in 1878. A member of the first graduating class of Sam Houston Normal School, she later continued her studies in Europe and spent 14 years teaching grammar and high school students, including several terms at the Chautauqua Summer Assembly.

Pennybacker became a prominent figure in the women’s club movement, serving as president of the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs and later as president and board member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. A dedicated advocate for peace and women’s rights, she participated in the Chautauqua movement, lectured extensively throughout the United States, and reported as a newspaper correspondent from League of Nations meetings in Geneva.

She also authored A New History of Texas for Schools, which was adopted by the Texas Legislature for use in public schools from 1898 to 1913.