The 1964-65 Who's Who of American Women has an entry for Mary Annette Stover Jaeckel that begins, "autho, journalist; b. Lancaster, S.C., Mar. 15, 1886...." The daughter of Sion and Emma Stover, Mary Annette Stover was the first recipient of the Leroy Springs scholarship for gift Lancaster County students. She graduated from Winthrop College in 1909 with highest honors.

Stover had been president of the D.B. Johnson School Improvement Association while at Winthrop, and like many of her classmates, planned to implement the association's ideas and ideals in a rural school. She taught and was principal in a number of schools in the Carolinas until she married Louis E. Jaeckel in 1924. She was 38 and he was 29.

Louis Jaeckel, born in New York, was descended from New England seafarers on his mother's side, while his grandfather Jaeckel had been a high ranking officer of the German Imperial Navy who made the mistake of criticizing the Hohenzollern regime, and had to flee for his life.

Jaeckel had had an adventuresome life. He had been hijacked by a Norwegian ship, served three years on American and Norwegian sailing ships, and when World War I came along, volunteered in the U.S. Army. Why the army after all his sailing experience? Jaeckel said he wanted a change. He saw plenty of action.

Mrs. Jaeckel wrote the Winthrop Alumnae Association head, Leila Russell, in 1940, about her husband: "He has almost one hundred decorations and medals won in the war which he has decided to will and bequeath to the museum at Winthrop College, among which is the coveted Victoria Cross of England and the Gold Cross of the Order of Phenix of Greece."

Jaeckell's war wounds prevented full-time employment, although he did become a license Baptist minister. Yet, he managed to write a syndicated column which the Charlotte Observer said was read by over 3 million readers daily. The Observer said Jaecekl was "a walking encyclopedia."

About the time of her marriage, Mary Jaeckel began writing on her own, and in 1932 became vice president and managing editor of the Dixie News Service. In 1934, she became a syndicated columnist and two years later became managing editor of the World Press Association.

From 1945-55, Jaeckel was the president of Christian Women United. She joined and was active in numerous organizations, the United Daughters of the American Revolution, the Winthrop College Alumnae Association, American Association of University Women, and was in the women's auxiliary of her husband's many organizations, including being made Honorary Commander, Navy League.

Sometimes husband and wife served jointly on boards. In 1958, both were elected to the board of directors of the American Coalition. The group was made up of more than 100 patriotic and fraternal socieites 'dedicated to the preservation of the principals of the American way of life.'

It was the McCarthy era, and the American Coalition was zealous in its dedication to hunting out Communists and subversives.

Louis Jaeckel became president of the Americans Inc., and vice president of the Grass Roots League, an organization for the preservation of states' rights. While his wife wrote for Baptist periodicals, Jaeckel wrote editorials that twice won him the George Washington Honor Medal from Freedom's Foundation.

When the 1964 presidential campaign rolled around, the Democrats nominated Lyndon B. Johnson, the Republications nominated Barry Goldwater, and the five "third parties" fielded candidates.

Louise Ellsworth Jaeckel was the American Party candidate for president. The American Party, according to the New York Times, Nov. 1, 1964, was a "coalition of 160 patriotic and Christian organizations, including the John Birch Society and the Minute Men of America." The Times said Louis Jaeckel's major platform was to start an Oriental Expeditionary force of Japanese and Nationalist Chinese to "end the war in Vietnam." Even among third parties, the American Party did poorly. It was too far to the extreme right.

During the 1940s and 1950s, the Jaeckels made Hendersonville, N.C., their home, but around 1958 or 1959 they moved to Lancaster, S.C. where they became active in the Baptist church.

In 1976, Mary Stover Jaeckel's sister, Perrine Stover Hayes, of the Class of 1910, informed the Winthrop Alumni Association that Mary had died on Feb. 2, 1976, and was buried in the Beaver Creek Church Cemetery at Heath Springs, S.C.