Medical Doctor, Educator, Author, Presbyterian Missionary, founder of The Crossnore Academy, 1951 Mother of the year. Co-founder of the Sloop Hospital (later the Sloop Medical Center at the Charles A. Cannon, Jr. Memorial Hospital), Founder of Crossnore Handcrafter Guild. Dr. Mary Martin Sloop was the daughter of Col. William Martin, professor of Chemistry at Davidson College. Her brother, William Martin, Jr. would become the President of Davidson College. Dr. Sloop was a graduate of the Statesville Female College and the Pennsylvania Women's College of Medicine. She also attended Davidson College. In 1909 she married Dr. Eustace Sloop, whom she had met while a student at Davidson College. With her husband she became a medical missionary to Avery County in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Settling first in the mining community of Plumtree their medical practice soon spread over a large isolated region of the mountains. By 1910 they relocated to a more central location in the small village of Crossnore. To combat the lack of education in the mountain community she began the Crossnore Academy, a residential school for local children. In order to support the students she joined with the Daughters of The American Revolution to fund the school. She would also co-found The Crossnore Presbyterian Church. She became a nationally known speaker and advocate for the needs of this remote area. U.S. Highway 221 is named the Dr. Mary Martin Sloop Highway in recognition of her efforts. In 1951 she was selected as The American Mother of the Year. While she had only two children, Emma (Mrs. Fink) and William Martin Sloop, DDS., both of whom would join her as Doctors in the Crossnore Community, thousands of mountain children considered her a mother. In 2009 she was recognized as one of the fifty most influential persons in the history of Western North Carolina.
Bio by Robert C. Peurifoy