Available 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Additional Options

Wisconsin Suffragists

Albee, GS

  • President of the State Normal School in Oshkosh

Anneke (Annetke), Franzisca Mathilde

  • Forced to leave Germany in 1848
  • Friend of Carl Schurz
  • Edited a women’s paper in Germany and continued upon arrival in Wisconsin
  • Established a girls’ school in Milwaukee
  • Served as Wisconsin delegate at one of the first national conventions in Washington, D.C., in 1869
  • Died in 1882

Atwater, MC

  • Milwaukee
  • Member of the South Side Suffrage Club
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Bain, Harriet

  • Kenosha artist and teacher
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association
  • Proposed Self-Denial Day for Suffrage, which was adopted nationwide

Baker, Stella

  • Dexterville
  • Member of the Grand Rapids Society
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Bascom, Emma Curtiss

  • Madison
  • President of the Madison Equal Suffrage Association, formed in 1878
  • Served as the first president of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Bascom, John

  • Madison
  • President of University of Wisconsin
  • Presided at the 1882 Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association convention

Bentley, Mary W.

  • Member and officer of the Marathon County Association
  • Member and officer of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Berger, Meta Schlichting

  • Milwaukee socialist
  • Worked with the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association (WWSA)
  • Left WWSA to join the Wisconsin branch of the National Woman’s Party in 1917

Brown, Reverend Olympia

  • Born in Michigan, January 1835
  • Influenced by her reformer mother, and became a teacher at 15 years old
  • Graduated from Antioch College in 1860
  • Ordained as a Universalist minister in 1863
  • Became pastor at Church of the Good Shepherd in Racine, WI, in 1878
  • Served as an officer of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association (WWSA) in 1882 and as president in 1885
  • Resigned position in 1887 and worked for suffrage as president of WWSA from 1887 until 1912
  • Joined the Wisconsin branch of the National Woman’s Party (NWP) in 1917
  • Took part in NWP picketing in DC on March 4, 1918, when she was in her 80s

Campbell, Vie H.

  • Evansville
  • Officer in the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association in 1882

Catt, Carrie Lane Chapman

  • Born in Ripon
  • Schoolteacher and journalist
  • Became National American Woman Suffrage Association president in 1915

Charleton, Helen Holmes

  • Born July 8, 1886, in Lockport, New York
  • Broadhead
  • Editor of Wisconsin Citizen, the official paper of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Chynoweth, Edna Phillips

  • Madison
  • Officer in the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association in 1882

Colby, Clara Bewick

  • Born in Sun Prairie
  • Valedictorian of the first class of women graduates from UW-Madison in 1869
  • Did most of her work for suffrage in Nebraska, but lectured in Wisconsin with Olympia Brown

Collins, Alura – See Hollister, Alura Collins

Comstock, Nancy

  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association
  • Prohibitionist

Curtis, Alice B.

  • Milwaukee Normal School teacher
  • Salaried Political Equality League recruiter during the 1911-12 campaign

Derrick, Mary A.

  • Brodhead

DeVoe, Emma Smith

  • Worked with the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association beginning in the 1890s before moving to Washington, where she led the fight for state suffrage
  • Returned to Wisconsin

Dow, Hon. JT

Dudley, Marion V.

  • Milwaukee
  • Served as vice president of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association in 1882
  • Speech to Senate committee on State Affairs on March 2, 1880, supporting women’s suffrage: “Gentlemen, I pray you to let my people go…to the polls.”

Eastman (Benedict), Crystal

  • Born June 25, 1881, probably in New York
  • Growing up, she lived in Massachusetts and New York
  • Her mother, Annis, was her first and most significant influence regarding the empowerment and liberation of women
  • Attended Vassar, 1899-1903 http://vcencyclopedia.vassar.edu/alumni/crystal-eastman.html
  • Received master’s in sociology from Columbia in 1904; received Law degree from New York University in 1907
  • Helped her brother Max form the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage in 1909
  • Married Wallace Benedict in 1910 and moved to his hometown of Milwaukee
  • Campaign manager for the unsuccessful 1912 Wisconsin women’s suffrage referendum campaign
  • Returned to New York in 1913
  • In 1913, traveled to Budapest for the Seventh Congress of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance
  • Divorced Benedict in 1915; married British poet Walter Fuller and had two kids
  • Helped found American Union Against Militarism (1914), National Woman’s Peace Party (1915), National Civil Liberties Union (in 1917; later known as the ACLU), fought for legalization of prostitution and right to birth control with Emma Goldman, was blacklisted in 1919, and moved with Fuller to London in 1922
  • Returned to New York after Fuller died in 1927
  • Died on July 8, 1928, from nephritis at 48 years old

Farnsworth Mears, Helen

Ford, Dr. Julia A.

Frisby, Dr. Almah J.

  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association
  • Medical doctor in Milwaukee

Gale, Zona

  • Born in Portage on August 26, 1874
  • UW-Madison student from 1891 to 1895; received her master’s from UW in 1901
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association (WWSA)
  • Left WWSA in 1917 for the National Woman’s Party because of her pacifist views
  • Writer who won a Pulitzer Prize for the stage adaptation of Miss Lulu Bett
  • Died of pneumonia on December 27, 1938

Goodell, Lavinia

Gray, Almedia B.

  • Schofield
  • Member and officer of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Griswold, Hattie Tyngh

  • Columbus poet
  • Served as second president of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association, 1884-1885

Gudden, Sophie

  • Grand Rapids
  • Journalist and writer
  • Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association (WWSA) Chair of Press Committee
  • Chiefly responsible for supplying the German press with suffrage literature in Wisconsin
  • Left WWSA for the National Woman’s Party with the outbreak of World War I

Hamilton, Marion V.

  • Waukesha
  • Served as president of the Waukesha Woman Suffrage Club
  • Served as an officer in the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Hollister, Alura Collins

  • Mukwonago
  • Journalist who signed her own name to her work when many others used pseudonyms or initials
  • 1884 – elected a vice president in the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association (WWSA)
  • Wrote full suffrage and school suffrage bills in 1884
  • Known as the “lady lobbyist” for the WWSA

Hooper, Jessie Jack

  • Oshkosh
  • One of the most active women in the suffrage cause for 30+ years
  • Elected a National American Woman Suffrage Association national director in March 1919
  • Became the first president of the Wisconsin League of Women Voters in 1920

Horton, Carrie

  • President of the Colored Suffrage League of Milwaukee, thought to be the first African American club dedicated to women’s suffrage in the country.

James, Ada

  • Richland Center
  • Lifelong suffrage worker and active in the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association
  • Split from National American Woman Suffrage Association to become a member of the Political Equality League
  • Her parents, aunt, and uncle were all active in the suffrage movement
  • Father, David H. James, and uncle, NL James, were both Wisconsin legislators and introduced suffrage bills
  • Joined the Wisconsin branch of the National Woman’s Party in 1917

James, David G.

  • Richland Center
  • Wisconsin state senator
  • Father of Ada James
  • Took the first train to DC on June 10, 1919, to receive official certification that Wisconsin’s ratification of the 19th Amendment was the first

James, Laura Briggs

  • Richland Center
  • Founded and elected a vice president of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association in 1882

James, Sarah

  • Oshkosh

Jastrow, Rachel Szold

  • Born 1865, died 1926 in Baltimore, MD
  • Moved to Madison, WI, in 1888 with husband, Joseph Jastrow
  • Member of National American Woman Suffrage Association and the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association (WWSA)
  • Acted as liaison from WWSA to the state legislature
  • Acted as spokesperson and delivered speeches from the back of an open vehicle

Jordan, Charlotte

  • Kenosha
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Judd, Mabel

  • Lancaster

King, Angie

  • Janesville lawyer

Koppke, Georgiana J.

  • Baraboo

La Follette, Belle Case

  • First woman graduate of University of Wisconsin Law School

Lake, Lucinda

  • Juda

Luther, Jessie

  • Madison

Mason, Eveleen L.

  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association and National American Woman Suffrage Association

McCreery, Maud Leonard

  • Green Bay
  • Joined the Wisconsin branch of the National Woman’s Party in 1917

Munro, Dr. Sarah

  • Member and officer of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association
  • Practicing physician in Milwaukee

Neubecker, Meda

  • Waukesha

Nyb, FM

Olin, Helen R.

  • Madison
  • University of Wisconsin graduate
  • Husband John

Olin, John M.

  • Madison lawyer
  • University of Wisconsin Law School graduate
  • Champion of prohibition and suffrage
  • Husband of Helen

Patchin, Hanna

  • New London
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Pearce, Mary G.

  • Milwaukee
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Peckham, Lila

  • Milwaukee lawyer
  • Speaker at the third state convention in March 1870
  • Died young

Perkins, Nora

  • Milwaukee

Pomeroy, Jennie M.

  • Member of the Grand Rapids Society
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Quackenbush, Susan Miller

  • Born February 23, 1881, in Milo, New York
  • Moved to Portage with her husband by 1910
  • Chaired the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association Education Committee
  • Wrote Social Forces booklet in 1913
  • Died at age 40 in Chicago and was buried in New York

Richards, Sarah A.

  • Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association (WWSA) member and organizer
  • Former Schofield schoolteacher
  • Served as WWSA “office manager” in Milwaukee
  • Wrote suffrage directory and brief history of Wisconsin movement in 1884

Robinson, Emma

  • Kenosha
  • Pharmacist
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Rogers, Jane

  • Milwaukee teacher for 15 years
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Ross, Dr. Laura J. – See Wolcott, Dr. Laura J. Ross

Sercombe, Dr. H. Frances

  • Hospital physician
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Stearns, Lutie

  • Schoolteacher
  • Organized the Wisconsin Library Association in 1894
  • Served as president of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Strathearn, Sophie

  • Kaukauna

Turner, Jennie Willing McMullin

  • Born January 4, 1885, near Hymera, Indiana

von Bruenchenheim, Minnie

  • Milwaukee

Wagner, Mary Swain

  • Born in 1864 in Poughkeepsie, NY
  • Never married and no children
  • Attended University of Minnesota and Vassar College
  • Vocations included teacher, writer, insurance agent, artist, lobbyist
  • Worked in Wisconsin during 1911 and 1912 on the 1912 women’s suffrage referendum campaign
  • Helped Ada James establish the Political Equality League in April 1911 as a more radical alternative to the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association
  • Created a Milwaukee, WI-based group, American Suffragists, but it lasted only two years, after which Wagner returned to Poughkeepsie, NY
  • Wagner opened an inn, The Wagner Inn, near Vassar with her savings of $300, which she ran until her death on August 12, 1937
  • She wrote a book about the inn entitled The Inner Life of an Inn, as well as a book of poetry, and illustrated them both

Wentworth, Frances McDonnell

  • Born July 2, 1831, in New York City
  • Married October 4, 1852, to John Theodore Wentworth; John died in 1893
  • The couple had four children
  • From New York, moved to Chicago, IL, Lake Geneva, WI, and Elkhorn, WI, before settling in Racine, WI, where she lived until her death on March 21, 1921
  • In June 1908, became treasurer of the Racine branch of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association (WWSA); also involved in the temperance movement and her local Presbyterian church

Willis, Dr. Gwendolen Brown

  • Born November 15, 1876, in Connecticut
  • Daughter of Rev. Olympia Brown
  • Milwaukee-Downer College

Wilson, Eliza

  • Menomonee

Winton, Theodora – See Youmans, Theodora Winton

Witter, Mrs. Isaac

  • Grand Rapids
  • Musician
  • Member of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Wolcott, Dr. Laura Ross

  • First woman physician in Milwaukee and third woman in the US to get a medical degree
  • Founder and first president of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association

Wright, Edna

  • From Milwaukee
  • Employed by National American Woman Suffrage Association
  • Spent three months in Wisconsin in 1918 to promote ratification

Youmans, Theodora Winton

  • born in 1863, died in 1932
  • Became a journalist in the 1880s and was the first woman reporter for the Waukesha Freeman
  • Beginning in 1888 with a printing of a letter by Alura Collins Hollister, would write and print women’s news as others hadn’t
  • 1889 married Henry Mott Youmans, editor of the Waukesha Freeman, and became an editor of the paper in 1890
  • Active in clubs; National American Woman Suffrage Association member and supporter
  • Became president of the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Association in 1913 (after it merged with the Political Equality League)
  • Upon the opening of a special session of Congress in 1919, traveled to DC to help lobby for passage
  • Became vice president of the Wisconsin League of Women Voters in 1920

This is not a comprehensive list; names may be added at any time. Information derived from the Wisconsin Woman Suffrage Directory (1885), the Woman’s Suffrage Movement, and McBride, Genevieve G. On Wisconsin Women: Working for Their Rights from Settlement to Suffrage (1994).