International Women's Day 2012

You guessed it! Today is the 101st International Women's Day.

In honor of the day, I thought I would talk about Carrie Chapman Catt. No, she never lived in Greenwich, but she did visit once.

I have been to the Gill Room and tried to find the article or two that must have accompanied her visit in the Greenwich Journal, but have been unable to locate it. You see the New York State Newspaper Project through the New York State Library, has "preserved" the Greenwich Journal on microfilm. The Greenwich Free Library has been diligently subscribing to the microfilm & keeps it in the climate controlled archive along with the reader. Unfortunately, I don't know the exact date of Mrs. Catt's visit & (if you've worked with microfilm you know) it is difficult to browse. I dislike microfilm but that is a story for another day...

The following can be found on page 13 of Our Century:An Account of Local Twentieth Century History gleaned from the pages of The Greenwich Journal and Salem Press by Tim Tefft:

A great woman spoke in Greenwich

At the 13th annual convention of the Washington County Political Equality Club held at the United Presbyterian Church, the featured speaker was Carrie Chapman Catt. During the afternoon session she conducted a "question box." In the evening she spoke on the topic, "Who are the People?"

Mrs. Catt was until 1904 president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. She had succeeded former tow of Greenwich resident Susan B. Anthony in that post and would hold the presidency again from 1915 to 1947, the year of her death. Mrs. Catt was the woman who conducted the final campaign that led to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. She also organized the League of Women Voters and was active in other causes.

Carrie Chapman Catt (nee Lane) in 1914

Also, check out the "google doodle" for International Women's Day.

& for a bit of fun & history rolled together... Alice Paul meets Lady Gaga

For more information on Carrie Chapman Catt:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/naw/cattbio.html
Van Voris, Jacqueline. Carrie Chapman Catt: A Public Life. The Feminist Press. 1996. (ISBN 9781558611399)
Fowler, Robert Booth. Carrie Catt: Feminist Politician. Noetheastern. 1988 (ISBN 9781555530051)
Levin, Nate. Carrie Chapman Catt: A Life of Leadership. http://natelevin.tripod.com/

For more information on Alice Paul:
The Alice Paul Institute- http://www.alicepaul.org/alicepaul.htm
The Sewall-Belmont House & Museum- http://www.sewallbelmont.org/learn/who-is-alice-paul/
Iron Jawed Angels starring Hilliary Swank- http://iron-jawed-angels.com/
Walton, Mary. A Woman's Crusade: Alice Paul and the Battle for the Ballot. Palgrave Macmillan. 2010. (ISBN 9780230611757)