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November 25, 1995 - Episode 484 - Women of Achievement and Herstory

                     compiled by Irene Stuber

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      Event 11-25/26-1856, the 7th National Woman's Rights Convention was

held in New York City chaired by Lucy Stone. The progress report, made only

EIGHT years after the first call for women's rights in the history of this

nation in 1848, is startling. In her address Lucy Stone said:

      "Our first effort...where a few women were gathered, who had learned

woman's rights by woman's wrongs...

      "Never before has any reformatory movement gained so much in so short

a time. When we began, the statute books were covered with laws against

women ... Now almost every Northern state has more or less modified its laws...

      WOA -->> Women of Achievement and Herstory is making this speech

available.  Email >istuber@cswnet.com< and ask for the Lucy Stone speech.

11-25 Anniversaries ...........................................

      Event Nov. 25, 1715, Sybilla Masters did not receive English Patent #401

for the machines and methods she invented for preparing Indian corn. It went

to her husband Thomas because by law women could not get patents (and

many other things). The patent documents clearly state Sybilla invented the

process and her signed drawings show the method of operation. She also

invented a method for using palmetto leaves to make hats, the patent again

going to her husband who formally acknowledged her as the inventor. 

      B. Nov. 25, 1865, Kate Gleason, extraordinary businesswoman who as a

salesperson in the late 1800's did the unthinkable: actually traveled by herself

to sell her father's toolmaking products, even to Europe.  When automobiles

became the rage, Gleason turned her sales abilities to Detroit and she was so

successful she became the first woman member of several engineering groups. 

Later she became the president of a bank, turned a bankrupt toolmaking

business into profit, and went into real estate, building and restoring housing

areas. She developed several resort areas, including Beaufort, SC.  

      B. Nov. 25, 1872, Winifred Margarita Kirkland, author of religious books

but had to publish them under the male pseudonym of James Priceman.

      B. Nov. 25, 1895, Helen Hooven Santmeyer*, author of _...And Ladies of

the Club_. When her book became a runaway bestseller, she was 92 and living

in a nursing home.  Her longtime companion Mildred Sandoe* was also living in

the same home.  HHS had sought a literary career in New York when young

and although her books were well received, she couldn't make a living and

returned to her home in Ohio where she worked as a librarian.

      B. Nov. 25, 1900 (06?), Helen Mary Gahagan Douglas, stage and screen

actor. Became active in the WPA and youth organizations during the

depression. US Congressional Representative 1945-51 and lost the race for U.S.

Senate to Richard M. Nixon, who conducted what is still considered one of the

dirtiest political campaigns in U.S. history.  

      Event Nov. 25, 1909: the "Uprising of the Twenty Thousand," the strike

of more than 25,000 women of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union

(ILGWU) that called for higher wages and better working conditions. 

Quotes du jour ................................................

      "Despite our fears to the contrary, it is not a stranger but a so-called

loved one who is most likely to assault, rape, or murder us."

             -- Russell and R. Emerson Dobash         

      ....................... * ........................

      The URLs to the most current weeks' worth of WOA set up on the Web

by Laurie D. T. Mann, the Feminist Webitor, are:

    http://worcester.lm.com/women/is/achievement.html

    http://worcester.lm.com/women/is/cattsclaws.html

The FTPs for Women of Achievement and Herstory being archived by William

Affleck-Asch, are:

       ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/f/feminist/

      (or NCFTP  open ftp.eskimo.com cd /u/f/feminist/)

                   -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

>>(C) 1995, All Rights Reserved, Irene Stuber, PO Box 6185, Hot Springs

National Park, AR 71902, voice mail or fax, 501-624-5262 ID #300, or email

istuber@cswnet.com or irenestuber@delphi.com with comments and suggestions.

Distribute verbatim copies freely with copyright notice for non-profit use.  We

are accepting *limited* donations (only what can be spared) to help offset the

costs of posting WOA.<<