Mallory had established high standards for Christian behavior and education. Parents who had moved north for work in the Great Migration of the first half of the 20th century often sent their children back to Lexington to be educated at Saints Academy, for a strong education on their home grounds. Through the decades, Mallory led the students through the period of integration of public schools, and the broadening role for blacks after passage of civil rights legislation. She helped develop many African-American leaders.