Biography:

Community and civic leader. Born June 1, 1876, Jacksonville. Parents General John H. and Septima Sexta Middleton (Rutledge) Forney, Married–  Clarence William Daugette,  December 22, 1897.  Children–five. Education– Graduate of Jacksonville State Normal School, 1893; attended Cooper Union School and National Academy of Design in New York. “First lady” of Jacksonville State, during her husband’s forty-three years as president. Active in many cultural, service, and historical organizations.  Organized the Civic League of Jacksonville; served on the State Advisory Committee of the Federal Writers Project, the State Advisory Committee of the Works Progress Administration, and other governmental agencies and commissions. President of the Alabama Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy; made honorary Life President in 1952. Campaigned for the restoration of Alabama’s Great Seal; personally helped design the  Seal adopted  by the Legislature in 1939. Compiled biographies of Alabama Civil War Generals; wrote historical articles about Jacksonville and Calhoun County.  Received the Jefferson Davis Medal for distinguished service by the UDC. Awarded the honorary Doctorate of Humanities, Jacksonville State University, 1970. Scholarships were established in her name at Huntingdon College and Jacksonville State University.  Elected to Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame, 1978.  Died  September 11, 1974.

Source:

Forney Forever, by Lee Forney Crawford; Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame Website.

Publication(s):

Historic Jacksonville, Semi Centennial, 1902-1952. Jacksonville, Ala.; General John H. Forney Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, 1952.

The Life of Major General John H. Forney. Jacksonville, Ala.; (mimeographed), 19–.