Tenth Generation

8596. Hope Christie Skillman was born on 16 February 1908 in Grand Rapids, Kent, MI. She was educated Goucher College in 1931 in Baltimore (Independent City), Baltimore, MD. member of Kappa Alpha Theta and the Goucher College Club. She died on 24 May 1981 at the age of 73 in New Milford, CT. HOPE SCHARY, LEADER IN TEXTILES DESIGNING AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS
By WALTER H. WAGGONER
Published: May 28, 1981
Hope Skillman Schary, a textile designer and a leader in the women's rights movement, died at her home in New Milford, Conn., last Saturday. She had recently returned from a meeting in Brussels of the International Council of Women, of which she was vice president. Mrs. Schary, who was 73 years old, also maintained a home in Manhattan.
As Hope Skillman, Mrs. Schary was one of the first American textile designers, and she rose rapidly in the fashion industry as a creative stylist. She worked for the Cohn-Hall-Marx Company and the Tabin-Picker Company before forming Hope Skillman Inc. in 1942, and later Skillmill Inc., which she headed until her retirement in the early 1960's. For many years Mrs. Schary employed only women in her company.
She was widely known as a producer of high-quality cottons, selling her creations to leading designers and stores. Mrs. Schary was a longtime member and officer of Fashion Group Inc., an organization of 5,000 women in the fashion industry. She served as the group's president from 1958 to 1960.
After retiring, Mrs. Schary turned her attention to women's rights. She served as president of the National Council of Women of the United States from 1970 to 1972 and from 1976 to 1978, and she was for many years the council's representative to the International Council of Women.
Mrs. Schary also represented the National Council of Women on many commissions in Washington, among them the Joint Commission for Correctional Manpower and Training and the Bicentennial Commission. She also served on the board of directors of the Council of National Voluntary Organizations.
Mrs. Schary, who was born in Grand Rapids, Mich., graduated from Goucher College near Baltimore and began her career in New York City in the early 1930's. In 1934 she married Saul Schary, a painter, who died in 1978.
She is survived by her mother, Mary Skillman, and a brother, John Van Dyke Skillman, both of Sacramento, Calif.

Hope was a textile designer and art illustrator. Who's Who in America (1961) Served two terms as pres. of Nat'l council of women of the U. S. Editor of Fine Arts mag. and Parnassus. Founded Skillmill, Inc., a cotton fabric mfg and textile firm.

Listed in "Biography Index" Vol 12: Sept, 1979-Aug 1982 New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1983. Also in "Index to Women of the World from Ancient to Modern Times: A Supplement." By Norma Olin Ireland, Metuchen, NJ. Scarecrow Press, 1988.

New York Times, 5/16/1939
Heads Sales Promotion for Ameritex Fabrics
Hope Skillman, for five years fashion director of the Ameritex division of the Cohn Hall Marx Company, which recently was reorganized, has been appointed to direct sales promotion as well as styling.

Goucher Library News, Vol 27, May 1982
Gifts to the Library from Hope Skillman Schary
The Goucher Library has received a bequest of more than 2,000 books from Mrs. Schary's estate. The collection reflects her own interests and also those of her husband, Saul Schary. It includes books on art and design, travel books, biographies and literary works. Mrs. Schary was a student at Goucher for three years late in the 1920's. She returned to receive a degree at the 1961 commencement. She is best known as a textile designer and one of the first women to achieve distinction in that field. Working under her maiden name, Mrs. Schary became president of Hope Skillman, Inc., and of Skillmill.

Who's Who in Art - Textile Designer and Art Illustrator.

Hope Christie Skillman and James Logan Meloy were married on 24 March 1928 at Second Presby. Church in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO. James Logan Meloy, son of William W. Meloy and Charlotte A. Logan, was born on 12 April 1905 in Chicago, Cook, IL. He died in January 1969 at the age of 63 in Chicago, Cook, IL.

Hope Christie Skillman and Saul Schary were married on 15 December 1934 in Manhattan, New York, NY. Saul Schary, son of Charles Schary and Flora Unknown, was born in 1904 in Newark, Essex, NJ. He died on 30 May 1978 at the age of 74 in New Milford, CT. New York Times, 5/31/1978.

Cause of death was kidney failure. He died in a nursing home. He was an illustrator and painter in oils and watercolors. Saul was educated the Art Students League in Kings Co., NY. He was educated Julien Academy and the Beaux Arts at École des Mines de Paris in Paris, France. He was educated Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.