Elizabeth Mooney Kirk (February 23, 1914 – June 29, 2004), known by many as "Betty", spent her entire life advancing adult literacy.
In this role, her work included running a mission boarding school in India and for two years she was head of a project for the British Government in Kenya training teachers and adults to read in some of the tribal languages.
Kirk and her literacy associate Helen M. Roberts of Palo Alto often helped find sponsorships for promising Kenyan students to study in the United States.
Kirk and Roberts are mentioned in Barack Obama's 1995 book, Dreams from My Father (pg 427 hardcover).
[1][2] Kirk's grandfather was Addison Clark who, with his brother, founded the Addran Male and Female Academy which became Texas Christian University.