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Part of the American
History & Genealogy Project |
Woman Lecturers
Nancy H. Adsit 1825 ~
Mrs. Adsit was born in Palerma, New York, May 21, 1825. She was
the first woman to enter the insurance field in this country,
and, as far as is known, in the world. She was possessed of an
unusual combination in a woman, great literary ability and
excellent business sense. At the age of thirteen she assumed
charge of her own affairs and her future education. Some of her
early writings aroused great antagonism, and her identity was
withheld by her editor and not until many years later did she
acknowledge their authorship. On the death of her husband,
Charles Davenport Adsit, of Buffalo, in 1873, Mrs. Adsit assumed
entire charge of his business and general insurance agency.
After a most successful career in this line, she sold the
business and resumed her writing. She contributed to the London
Art Journals, writing a most interesting series of articles for
them on "The Black and White in Art" or "Etching
and Engraving."' This brought demands from her friends for
lectures, or parlor talks, on art, and she began the course of
classes for study. For many years she has delivered these
lectures in the principal cities of the United States and her
name is prominently connected with art education both in this
country and abroad.
Louisa Dow Benton 1831
~
Mrs. Benton was born in Portland, Maine, March 23, 1831, and is
the daughter of Neal Dow, and Cornelia Durant Maynard. On
December 12, 1860, she married Jacob Benton, of Lancaster, New
Hampshire, who was later a member of Congress, and they spent
four years of their life in Washington, D. C. She became a
confirmed invalid from rheumatism, being unable to walk, and
lost almost the entire use of her hands, but possessed such
fortitude and courage that even this did not prevent her from
study, and she learned to read Italian, Spanish, German, Greek,
and Russian without any instruction. Then she took up Volapük,
and is well-known as a Volapük scholar. Has carried on
correspondence with several linguists in Europe and associations
for the spreading of this language.
Louise Bethune 1856
1913
Mrs. Bethune was born in Waterloo, New York, in 1856. Her
mother's family came to Massachusetts in 1640. Her father's
ancestors were Huguenot refugees. In 1874 Miss Blanchard
graduated from the Buffalo High School, and her attention having
been attracted to the study of architecture, she soon took this
up seriously. She traveled and studied and taught for two years,
before taking the architectural course in Cornell University. In
1876 the offer of a position as draftsman made her relinquish
her intention of college study, as she found a most valuable
library in her employer's office which was at her service. In
1881 she was able to open her own office and thus became the
first woman architect in the United States. The partnership
formed with Robert A. Bethune resulted in her marriage to him,
and they have continued their work together, having erected many
public buildings in Buffalo and other cities. She is a member of
the Western Association of Architects, and is the only woman
member of the American Institute of Architects. In 1886 she
organized the Buffalo Society of Architects, out of which has
grown the Western New York Association. She and her husband were
very active in securing the passage of the Architects' Licensing
Bill, which was intended to enforce a rigid preliminary
examination and to place the profession on a higher plane. Since
Mrs. Bethune entered this profession as its woman pioneer, there
have been several others who have taken it up and gained
distinction.
Emily Mulkin Bishop
1858 ~ 1916
Mrs. Bishop was born in Forestville, New York, November 3, 1858.
After leaving school she taught, as many others have done,
before starting on her professional career. In 1884 she became
the wife of Coleman A. Bishop, editor of Judge, and later they
went to Black Hills, South Dakota, to live. She was made
superintendent of the public schools at Rapid City, South
Dakota, the first woman to be so honored in that territory. She
had made the study of Delsarte a specialty and became a lecturer
on that subject and was invited to establish a Delsarte
department in the Chautauqua assemblage of New York, which she
has made a great success. Out of this has grown the demand for
her to lecture on this subject before the public. She has
published a book, "American Delsarte Culture," and is
today recognized as one of the noted editors and authors on this
subject in the United States.
Frances Benjamin Johnston
1864 ~ 1952
Miss Johnston has made a reputation for herself in photography
and photographic illustrations, particularly of public places
and men and women prominent in official and social life of
Washington; has done work for the railroads in illustrating
folders of scenery in the West and Northwest. Born at Grafton,
West Virginia, January 15, 1864; daughter of Anderson D. and
Frances Benjamin Johnston; studied in Paris at the Julien
Academy; also charter member of the Washington, D. C. Art
Students' League; exhibited at the Chicago World's Fair, Paris
Exposition, Pan-American Exposition, St. Louis Exposition;
received gold medal at the Paris Exposition in 1900; was
decorated by the French Academy in 1904; is a member of the
Photo Club of Paris, New York Camera Club and the Washing-ton
Camera Club.
Elizabeth Shelby Kinkead
Was born in Fayette County, Kentucky. Daughter of Judge William
B. and Elizabeth De La Fontaine Shelby Kinkead. Lecturer before
the Chautauqua Assemblies, and on literature before the State
College of Kentucky, and author of "The
History of Kentucky."
Minerva Parker Nichols
1863 ~ 1949
Was born May 14, 1863, in Chicago, is a descendant of John Doane
who landed in Plymouth, in 1630, and took an active part in the
government of the colony. Seth A. Doane, the grandfather of Mrs.
Nichols was an architect and went to Chicago when it was an
outpost and trading settlement among the Indians. Her father,
John W. Doane, died in Murfreesborough, Tennessee, during the
Civil War, being a member of an Illinois Volunteer Regiment.
Being obliged to support herself, she gave her time to the
cultivation of her talent for architecture, which she had
inherited from her grandfather. She studied modeling under John
Boyle, and finally entered an architect's office as draftsman.
Later she built the Woman's New Century Club, in Philadelphia.
Besides her practical work in designing houses, she has
delivered in the School of Design, in Philadelphia, a course of
lectures on Historic Ornament and Classic Architecture. Among
some of her important commissions was one for the designing of
the International Club House, known as the Queen Isabella
Pavilion, at the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, in 1893.
She was among the first women to enter the field of architecture
and some of the homes in the suburbs of Philadelphia attest to
her ability and talent in this line. In December, 1899, she
married Rev. William J. Nichols, a Unitarian clergyman.
Janet Elizabeth Richards
Is a lecturer on current topics. Born at Granville, Ohio; is the
daughter of William and Helen Ralston Richards. Her mother was a
cousin of Judge Salmon P. Chase. Was educated at the Convent of
the Sacred Heart, Torresdale, Pennsylvania. Was a writer on the
Washington Post; and in 1895, she organized classes on current
topics to which she lectures every Monday morning in Washington,
D. C, also has large classes in New York, Philadelphia, Richmond
and other cities. She lectures also on travel and literature.
Her class in Washington is composed of the wives of the
officials and social leaders. She is an able, gifted woman who
has taken a conspicuous part in the literary life and field of
the Capital city, and in the patriotic societies, being a
charter member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, one
of the members of the Women's League, National Geographic
Society, and Audubon Society. She was at The Hague during the
Peace Conference in 1907. Contributor to the magazines, and an
active member of the Christ Child Society.
Mrs. E. H. Stevens
Mrs. E. H. Stevens was born in Louisiana. Her maiden name was
Herbert. For some years she was librarian of the Agriculture
Department, of Washington. She is the widow of a graduate of
West Point. For many years she occupied the position of
translator at the desk known as "Scientific Translations" in the
Patent Office. During her occupancy of the different positions
she has held under the government, she has frequently
contributed to the press.
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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