Mary Montgomery Booze was an African-American civic leader and a Republican National Committee member. She was Born in Mississippi. Her parents were former slaves, and she was one of twelve children. Mary grew up with a material comfort. She had connections with family other African Americans couldn't believe. Her grandfather, Benjamin Montgomery, owned the vast Davis plantation. He was known as one of the largest cotton producers in Mississippi, and also the state's first African American public officeholder. Her father was a businessman, state Republican leader, and political friend of Booker T. Washington. In 1887 her parents moved to Mound Bayou, the all-black Bolivar County agricultural colony founded and dominated by her father making her family as prosperous as ever. She went to high school and then completed two years of college at Straight University. Then was employed by her father as a bookkeeper and instructor at Mound Bayou Normal Institute. She married Eugene P. Booze, a businessman, in 1901.Together they had two children and lived in Colorado, before returning to Mound Bayou in 1909. Together they acquired various agricultural interests. Her husband became a business partner of Mary's father. She then turned to what she often called "race building." Mary was the Mississippi example of black achievement. In 1924, she became the first black woman elected to the Republican National Committee. She kept that position for 20 years. Her political life was often a victim of controversy. Because of the time in which she worked, there was racial and sexist discrimination. Scandals including allegations that she violated social rules by dancing and dining with Herbert Hoover in 1928. With other "Black and Tan" leaders she helped stop a "lily-white" takeover of the state Republican organization. She was also included with Mississippi club-women who quietly helped with simpler public services to black Americans. She then moved to New York City in 1939, after the unsolved murder of her husband. She however continued to represent Mississippi on the Republican National Committee until 1948.