Booth, Evangeline Cory (1865-1950) was the first woman to serve as general (director) of the Salvation Army. She was elected to the position in 1934 and served until 1939. She was the daughter of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army.
Booth was born in London on Dec. 25, 1865. She joined the Salvation Army at the age of 15 and began selling The War Cry, the army’s publication. She began preaching to the poor at the age of 17 and eventually assumed command of the organization’s London-area operations. In 1896, the army sent her to Canada to supervise activities there. In 1904, Booth took command of the Salvation Army in the United States, where she worked to expand its social programs and make its structure more democratic. She became a U.S. citizen in 1923. She died on July 17, 1950.
