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Part of the American
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Emma Sanford Shelton 1849 ~
Mrs. Emma Sanford Shelton, president of
the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, of the District of
Columbia, was born in Westmoreland County, Va., in 1849. She was
the daughter of Julia Ellis Bibb and Charles Henry Sanford, a
lawyer residing at Montrose, the county seat
She was educated in the public schools of Washington, and in
October, 1873, was married to Charles William Shelton, of
Boston, Mass. They have one son, Arthur Bentley Shelton.
Mrs. Shelton has been connected with the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union, of the District of Columbia from the time of
its organization in 1874. As superintendent of narcotics, she
was instrumental in securing the passage by Congress of a law
prohibiting the sale of cigarettes and tobacco to minors under
sixteen years of age. While working for this law, she secured
petitions in its favor signed by nearly every physician in the
city, the superintendent of public schools, all the supervising
principals and nearly every teacher, as well as by pastors of
all denominations. The petitions were ordered printed by the
United States Senate and attracted such attention and created
such an interest on the subject that the bill prepared by her
was speedily reported by the senate committee with favorable
recommendations, and became a law.
Mrs. Shelton was recording secretary of the District of Columbia
Woman's Christian Temperance Union for more than twenty years,
and for several years was the assistant national superintendent
of the department of legislation. When, in 1901, it was decided
by the District Union to secure a building of its own, the
matter was placed in the hands of a board of trustees, of which
Mrs. Shelton was made financial secretary. The building, 522
Sixth Street, which is the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
Headquarters, was purchased and entirely paid for within eight
years by money raised almost entirely by the members of the
organization under the efficient leadership of the president of
the board of trustees.
Mrs. Shelton has been for many years an active member of the
Vermont Avenue Christian Church, a teacher in the Sunday school,
and was for several years president of the board of Deaconesses
of that church. She is a vice-president of the
Interdenominational Missionary Union of the District of
Columbia, and also represents her denomination in the
Interdenominational Council of Women for Christian and Patriotic
Service, whose headquarters are in New York City, She has
recently been appointed on the advisory board of the Washington
Seminary for young ladies.
Mrs. Shelton has developed great ability as a leader in
temperance and other Christian work, and has the peculiar genius
of being able to secure the hearty co-operation of her
associates in carrying out the plans formulated by herself and
other leaders in the movements in which she is interested for
the uplift of humanity.
Women of
America
Source: The Part Taken by Women in
American History, By Mrs. John A. Logan, Published by The Perry-Nalle
Publishing Company, Wilmington, Delaware, 1912.
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