Evangeline Cory Booth
(1865-1950)
Fourth General of The Salvation Army, Commander of The Salvation Army in the United States, Territorial Commissioner for The Salvation Army in Canada and Newfoundland
Evangeline was one of eight children born to William and Catherine Booth, co-founders of The Salvation Army. In her late teens, she was assigned her own Army post in the slums of London where she became known as the “White Angel of the Slums.” From this post, she subsequently became Principal of the Army’s International Training College in London, Army Field Commissioner for Great Britain, and then Territorial Commissioner for Canada and Newfoundland. Her longest Army post, from 1904-1934, was as Commander of the American branch of The Salvation Army, headquartered in New York City. In 1919, she received the Distinguished Service Medal from President Wilson for the Army’s aid of the war effort through its ministry to soldiers on the front line by female Salvationists, known as the Sallies. Due in large measure to Evangeline’s efforts, the Army’s first national fund-raising campaign raised $13,000,000. In her last Army post, she became the first woman to oversee the Army’s work worldwide as General of The Salvation Army at its international headquarters in London. She was the
recipient of honorary degrees from Columbia University and Tufts College.
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