Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 26, Number 1, Spring 2014 Page: 13
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dFr a Lr +Virginia Hall, a women's dormitory named in honor of Virginia K. Johnson, opened on the campus of Southern
Methodist University in 1926.parlors," a 100-seat dining room, an administra-
tive wing, and a medical wing that included an
operating room, a "diet kitchen," and sick wards.79
Their Thanksgiving celebration that fall reflect-
ed the joy felt by everyone connected with the
home, and a lavish meal (including turkey with
oyster stuffing, creamed asparagus, and pistachio
ice cream among more traditional fare) was fol-
lowed by toasts. The first toast made reference to
the story of Miles Standish and Priscilla, whom
the speaker commended as a having "a tender
and trusting heart but who could speak her own
mind when the occasion demanded it."The sec-
ond toast honored "all persons who had helped
to build and sustain this splendid home," espe-
cially Mrs. Johnson who, though absent that day,
"is ever-present in our minds and hearts."80 At the
age of seventy-one,Jennie had reached the zenith
of her career.
Virginia K.Johnson continued to support the
Home that bore her name, as well as many other
worthy causes, until her death at the age of 91,
on July 20, 1934.81 She remained active well into
her eighties and extended her interest in women's
welfare by taking on the challenge of funding awomen's dormitory at newly founded South-
ern Methodist University. Jennie announced the
commencement of this campaign in the pages of
the King's Messenger in 1918, quoting Methodist
bishop Edwin D. Mouzon that the university was
having to turn away young women applicants due
to a lack of housing for them. Jennie dreamed of
rectifying this situation with a plan for a Moth-
er's Memorial Dormitory for Women that could
house between 100 and 200 people.The Morning
News quoted her as saying that this would not be
an active drive, but rather a fund to which people
could contribute any amount.82 Such a departure
from her more recognizable style of canvassing
may have been the only public indication that
Jennie was slowing down. It would be her last
major effort.The dormitory, namedVirginia Hall,
opened in December 1926, and Jennie attended
the dinner and reception celebrating the event.83
The Virginia K. Johnson Home and School
outlived its founder by seven years. It continued
to serve Dallas and North Texas until 1941, when
changes in the city's infrastructure and in the de-
livery of social services led the Methodist Church
to close its doors. For almost fifty years, however,LEGACIES Spring 2014 13
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Dallas Historical Society. Legacies: A History Journal for Dallas and North Central Texas, Volume 26, Number 1, Spring 2014, periodical, Spring 2014; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth586972/m1/15/?q=cosette: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Historical Society.