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Part of the American
History & Genealogy Project |
Margaret Dye Ellis
Mrs. Margaret Dye Ellis, daughter of Dr.
Clarkson and Margaret Dye was born in the city of New York. Her
parents, who were members of the Anti-Slavery Society, were
foremost also in benevolent and philanthropic endeavor. At the
age of eighteen years, Margaret married Jonathan T. Ellis, a
business man of New York but a native of Maine, and during their
forty odd years of married life, in every possible way did he
second his wife's efforts for the betterment of the world.
Four children were born to them, two of whom with their father
have passed on. During 1873-18741 Mrs. Ellis with her family
were sojourning for a time in California. The great "temperance
crusade" which had started in Ohio, found its way to the Pacific
coast, and Mrs. Ellis, with other women, united in a movement to
bring about better conditions in that western state. Upon their
return to New Jersey in 1876, she identified herself with the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union of that state, and in 1880
was elected corresponding secretary of the state union, a
position she held for fifteen years.
In 1895 she was appointed legislative
superintendent for the National Woman's Christian Temperance
Union, a position she still holds. For sixteen years she has
spent her winters, or the time during the sessions of Congress
at Washington, D. C, looking after the interests of temperance
legislation. Mrs. Ellis has done much platform work, also,
having spoken at Chautauqua's, conventions, etc., in nearly
every state in the union.
Mrs. Ellis was appointed by President
Taft as delegate to the Thirteenth International Non-Alcoholic
Congress which met at The Hague in September, 1911, an official
certificate from the department of state making her a
representative of this government.
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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