Today is Carrie Chapman Catts birthday. Here is a wonderful article (with references in the original) about her from the January 8 League Update: On January 9th in 1859, Carrie Chapman Catt was born in Wisconsin. While we all know that Carrie Catt fought tirelessly for women’s suffrage both here and abroad and that she founded the League of Women Voters, here are some facts about this remarkable woman of which we may not be aware: Originally interested in practicing medicine, Catt received a Bachelor of Science degree in general science in 1880. She was the only woman in her class. Before working in the suffrage movement, Catt served as a teacher, principal and superintendent in Iowa. Catt began her career as a political activist at the age of 27 when she joined the Iowa Woman Suffrage Association. When her husband died in 1885, Catt made a living by becoming San Francisco’s first female newspaper reporter. By 1900, Catt succeeded the 80-year-old activist Susan B. Anthony as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), the organizational predecessor to the League. She served as president until 1904 when internal political issues within NAWSA caused her to take a break to advocate for the rights of women across the globe, not just in the U.S. As the president of NAWSA, she founded the International Woman Suffrage Alliance (IWSA). Catt returned to NAWSA as president in 1915. Catt’s relentless campaigning is credited with helping win President Woodrow Wilsons respect and support — which ultimately lead to the passage of the 19th Amendment. Catt was close friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, a fellow League leader and women’s rights pioneer. In her later years, Catt advocated on behalf of working women and tirelessly lobbied for world peace efforts. She supported efforts for both the League of Nations and the United Nation, the latter of which the League of Women Voters helped establish. For decades throughout the women’s suffrage movement, Catt traveled across the country to make speeches and lead parades. Even when she was in her late 70s, she remained an effective and impassioned speaker. Carrie Catt described the League as a “mighty experiment”. Nearly 95 years later the League is still a mighty experiment in making democracy work through citizen education and engagement. No doubt, Mrs. Catt would be exceedingly proud of her legacy.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 14:51:09 +0000
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