[4] In her younger years, May traveled to Europe and later dedicated her time to raising a niece who had lost her mother.
She led a group of patriotic women in Boston and Massachusetts in providing support and assistance to soldiers on the battlefield.
[3][8][9] From 1882 to 1888, she served as a trustee for the Tuskegee Institute, contributing to the growth and success of this historically black college in Alabama.
[2] In 1879, May was appointed to the Massachusetts State Board of Education, where she supervised normal schools and provided guidance and support to both teachers and students.
The building was named in tribute to May as the first woman appointed as an "official visitor" to the school by the Massachusetts Board of Education.