Ella Hastings

(1856–1924) Ella was an innovative thinker and social reformer. She served on the executive board of the New York State Federation of Women’s Clubs. In 1908, she led an effort to lobby the New York State legislature to pass a suffrage amendment to the New York State constitution.

Ella was a member of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) and served on the Peace and Arbitration Committee. She was active in the New York State Woman Suffrage Association (NYSWSA) and served on their committees for legislation and education. She addressed the issue of child labor by founding the Society for the Study of Child Nature, an organization dedicated to gaining an understanding of child labor and its impact in childhood development and education.

Following World War I, New York Governor Al Smith appointed Ella and five other women to a commission tasked with planning the reorganization of state government as it reconverted to peacetime. (Source: Alexander Street)