WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE – VIRTUAL

February 16, 23, March 2, 9 (Tuesdays) 1:30-3 p.m.

Fees Per Virtual Class:

Each Academy of Seniors class includes four 90-minute sessions.

$25.00 for members ● $35.00 for non-members

Only one registration per household required.

No virtual single-session option available.

For registration information, go to: https://seniorprofessionals.illinoisstate.edu/educational-opportunities/.

February 16—Celebrating the Diverse and Complex Activists of the 19th Amendment

During 2020, a flourish of museum exhibits and new books celebrated the centennial of the passage of the 19th amendment. This highlighted the incredible diversity of people involved in women’s suffrage. Their activism shows the willingness by suffragists to breach the boundaries and helps to complicate the conversation surrounding the diverse positions of voting activists. This session acknowledges the persistence of segregation and brings voice to little studied activists who challenged that segregated environment.

Kyle Ciani, Associate Professor of History and Core Faculty in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, ISU

February 23—The Federal Suffrage Movement: Hazle Buck Ewing’s Fight for All Women’s Equality

Hazle Buck Ewing passionately supported many causes over her lifetime. She joined the women’s suffrage movement in 1915, devoting the next four years to working with local, state, and national leaders to help secure voting rights for women. Hazle was a lifelong member of the Bloomington League of Women Voters, encouraging women to be informed and active citizens in government.

Toni Tucker, Associate Director, University Advancement, and Director of Ewing Cultural Center, ISU

and

Closer to Home: A Conversation About Sarah Raymond

Explore the life and times of Sarah Raymond; the nation’s first female school superintendent, Bloomington, IL. As an early graduate of Illinois State Normal University, a teacher, principal, and superintendent, Raymond challenged issues like progressive pedagogy, gender, and race. In 1892 she experienced first-hand women voting in school board elections.

Monica Noraian, Associate Professor and Director of the History-Social Sciences Education Program, Department of History, ISU

March 2—Womanly Liberty and Home Protection: How Frances Willard Promoted Suffrage

In 1874, when the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was formed, women’s suffrage was definitely not part of its platform. This presentation shows how reformer (and Illinoisan) Frances Willard persuaded a reluctant WCTU to endorse suffrage and become a surprisingly powerful force in the national women’s rights movement.

Janet Olson, Archivist, Frances Willard Memorial Library and Retired Archivist, Woman’s Christian Temperance Union Archives, Evanston

March 9—Ahead of Their Time: A Brief History of Women’s Suffrage in Illinois

When the 1870 Illinois Constitutional Convention refused to give the franchise to women, the state’s distaff sex worked to gain equal rights and protections by championing individual laws. Through the efforts of determined women, Illinois allowed females to vote in all local and state education-related elections in 1891. Learn of the battle Illinois suffragists fought in 1913 to become the first state east of the Mississippi River to allow women to vote for the president.

Mark Sorensen, Retired Assistant Director, Illinois State Archives