Maud Ballington Booth

Maud Ballington Booth (born Sept. 13, 1865, Limpsfield, Surrey, Eng.—died Aug. 26, 1948, Great Neck, N.Y., U.S.) was a Salvation Army leader and cofounder of the Volunteers of America.

Maud Charlesworth grew up from the age of three in London. The examples of her father, a clergyman, and her mother, who worked with her husband in his slum parish, predisposed Maud to social service, and in 1882 she joined the Salvation Army. Organizing work in France and Switzerland was followed by pioneering social service work in London slums. In 1886 she married Ballington Booth, son of General William Booth, and adopted both his names.

In 1887 they took command of the Salvation Army forces in the United States. In their successful efforts to establish the American branch on a firm basis and earn recognition for its work, she was particularly adept at winning the support of persons of position and influence. At the same time, she remained personally active in slum mission work in New York City. The Ballington Booths became naturalized citizens in May 1895. In 1896 a disagreement with William Booth over administrative policy led Maud and Ballington Booth to resign from the Salvation Army and to establish the rival Volunteers of America, which became a lasting religious and charitable organization.

Maud Booth later became absorbed in prison reform, working for the rehabilitation of prisoners and contributing to the development of the parole system. She also published a number of books on mission and prison work and others for children. Following the death of her husband in 1940, she was elected general of the Volunteers of America, a post she held for the remainder of her life.