In the annals of twentieth-century music education, it is curious that two women with similar names figured prominently in the pages of "Music Educators Journal". Their professional careers overlapped, and, because both were devoted to general music education, they may, at first glance, appear to be the same person. The truth, however, is considerably more engaging. Many music educators and historians have heard of Mary E. Hoffman (1927-1997), who was a professor of music education at the University of Illinois, the author of music education publications, and president of Music Educators National Conference from 1980 to 1982. She was elected to membership in the Music Educators Hall of Fame in 1998. This article discusses the "other" woman, Mary P. Hoffman (1898-1992), who was a strong proponent of teaching music in rural American settings. Born in Wisconsin, she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in music education at American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and taught in Montana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Georgia public schools and colleges. (Contains 6 notes.)