Moody Announces “The Bethune-Fitzwater Educational Building” on Chicago Campus

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, the Moody Bible Institute announced during the President’s Chapel hour the renaming of Fitzwater Hall on the Chicago campus to “The Bethune–Fitzwater Educational Building.”

“She embodied to spirit of the founder of this Institute,” said Dr. Winfred Neely, vice president and dean of Moody Theological Seminary, to the staff, students, and faculty gathered for this historic occasion “She went on to become a model educator, advocate for the God-given dignity of women, advisor to presidents, her parents were enslaved and Mary was the first of their children to be born in freedom... we honor her today. But we also want to honor P.B. Fitzwater, faculty member here at Moody Bible Institute for nearly 40 years, dean of the day and evening school, and made enormous and immense contributions to Moody Bible Institute. Thus we thought it proper and fitting to hold and honor both of these.”

During this commemorative chapel service, reflections were shared by Dr. Neely, as well as professor Dr. Mary Cloutier as well as President Dr. Mark Jobe about the life of Dr. P.B. Fitzwater for whom the building has been named since 1962. Moody alumna Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune’s name was added to the name of the educational building after a resolution by Moody’s Trustees for her mission spirit, courage, and leadership. Her service as an educator had a profound and enduring national and Kingdom impact.

The building originally named for Dr. Perry Braxton “P.B.” Fitzwater honored the life of a man who was a lifelong learner and passionate about teaching God’s Word and helping others love His Word. Born in West Virginia in 1871, Fitzwater who was one of 10 siblings, grew up to marry at 27 and together with his wife raise three sons.

Prior to coming on as a faculty member at Moody in 1913, Fitzwater, was a teacher and principle at different public schools. Throughout his nearly 40 years at Moody, he taught systematic theology and served in a variety of roles, including dean of Evening School of the Institute (1923-1926), dean of Day and Evening Schools (1926-1929) and director of Pastor’s Course beginning in 1934.

He was also instrumental in the formation and curation of the Moody Registrar’s Office and Moody Alumni Association – fun fact: March 1949 marks the first edition of the Moody Alumni News magazine. He retired as dean of faculty at Moody and left a legacy as a renowned author, gifted Bible teacher, beloved professor, and according to Dr. Cloutier, the author of a syndicated newspaper column on Sunday School Bible lessons between 1917–1933, making him the most published newspaper writer of that time.

An endowed scholarship, funded by a generous legacy gift from Mr. and Mrs. James Fitzwater, was recently set up to honor the lasting memory of Dr. Fitzwater, who was an esteemed pastor, scholar, author, and beloved alumnus (class of 1899), professor and director of the Pastor’s course at Moody. This scholarship is to be awarded to deserving undergraduate students of the Moody Bible Institute enrolled in the Pastoral Ministry or Pastoral Ministry (Pre-Seminary) majors.

Moody alumna Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune is an acclaimed educator, civil rights activist and was the presidential advisor for several presidents (including Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt). Born in Mayesville, South Carolina in 1875, the child of formerly enslaved people, Bethune grew up in poverty as one of 17 children. But her love of learning flourished when she was gifted a scholarship by a missionary, making her the only one of her siblings who was able to attend school and then go on to college. This initial opportunity paved the way for Bethune’s love of education and pursuit of teaching and empowering others through the tool and gift of education.

“Both Dr. Fitzwater and Dr. Bethune give us an example of humble beginnings dedicated in creative work, and perseverance through life’s losses and disappointments”, concluded Dr. Cloutier who serves as professor of Intercultural Studies at Moody Bible Institute. “We are honored to call them Moody alumni and it is our honor to rename the seminary building after these two giants of the faith.”

After graduating from Scotia Seminary (high school), Bethune’s desire to pursue ministry and missionary work was sparked, which led to her decision to attend Moody Bible Institute immediately in 1893. After graduation, she returned to the South to begin her career as an educator.

Her educational pursuits and desire to share the gospel, led to a lifetime of incredible achievements, including: founder of the National Council of Negro Women, president of the National Association of Colored Women, serving as Florida chapter president of National Association of Colored Women for many years, special advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on minority affairs, and founder of the Daytona Normal and Industrial Institute for Negro Girls in Daytona, FL in 1904—she remained with the school for nearly 40 years. The school later became Bethune-Cookman University and remains one of the national’s historic, black colleges.

On July 13, 2022, an 11-ft, marble statue honoring Bethune was dedicated and placed in the US Capitol Building’s Statutory Hall in Washington, DC. She is the first black person, to be honored in the Statuary Hall collection, and the first Moody graduate to receive this esteemed honor that cemented her impact in history and carries on her legacy for future generations to come.

“I want to remind you who God loves to choose… the beauty of the gospel and the beauty of the call of Jesus is that He specializes in calling the weak, the small, the insignificant, those who others would walk by and say they would never make a difference,” said Dr. Mark Jobe, president of Moody Bible Institute, who spoke on who God chooses to use, taken from a passage in 1 Corinthians 1. “God delights in choosing the weak… all throughout Scripture you see it over and over, that God seems to focus in on those that others would despise, walk by, say they could never make a difference because it’s in our weakness that His power is made relevant—it shows up... when the vessel is weak, you can only point one way—not this way [toward self], you have to point that way [toward God].”