Sister Anne Webster, rscj (1920-1988)

Sister Anne Webster was born in Paris, Texas, on August 23, 1920 and entered the Society of the Sacred Heart on September 6, 1941 at the age of 21.

A mission of education:

After her first vows in March, 1944, Webster began her mission of education that kept her constantly active in and out of the classroom for the rest of her life. She often served as Mistress of Studies or Academic Dean at both the high school and college level. In the midst of her busy teaching career, she also continued her own education and pursued an M.A. and Ph.D. in American History.

“Always concerned with cultural and spiritual development of the students as well as their classes, she identified gifted and talented students and worked out programs for them, tried to broaden cultural interests and eventually incorporated computers into varied areas of the curriculum.”

Sr. Webster taught English, Math, History, and Religion at a variety of institutions, including St. Charles, City House, Villa Duchesne, Maryville, and the International School in Tokyo Japan.

The Road to Selma

Sr. Webster was the Academic Dean of Maryville College (now Maryville University) when she accompanied Sr. Patricia Barrett and seven students to Selma.

It’s not clear whether she received an invitation to join the demonstrations in Selma or if she learned of the situation on her own and made the choice to go.

Sources Consulted