Susan M. Chesebrough Bain (1854–1937) Susan was one of the powerhouse Glens Falls women behind the first local study club, Friends in Council (1884) and the first suffrage club in Warren County, the Political Equality Club of Glens Falls (1893). She was elected vice president of the PECGF in 1901, and later served as president hosting many meetings in her home on South Street. In 1914, she became the Warren County Suffrage leader, and served on the canvass committee with Lucy Wooster Chapman, and Adelen Walsh Bayle. On June 7, 1894, as Chair of the Campaign Committee of the 21th District, Susan addressed the New York Constitution Convention Committee in Albany, stating “there is one cogent reason for woman suffrage–woman herself. Womanhood and motherhood are as strong arguments for the right to vote as fatherhood and manhood. Though a woman, she is a citizen, a house-holder, a tax-payer, and ought to have, according to the accepted principles of our form of government, a voice in the expenditure of the public money she helps to pay and the making of laws she is bound to obey. As wife, mother, daughter and sister, she is a silent and uncounted unit in the State, except as she appears in the census returns. By what authority is she thus governed by proxy?” Anthony, S. B., & Sewall, M. W. (1895). Constitutional-amendment campaign year: report of the New York State Woman Suffrage Association, twenty-sixth annual convention, Ithaca, N.Y., November 12- 15. Rochester, NY: Charles Mann, printer, Elm Park. Bio by Tisha Dolton. Quaker Cemetery ​ Ridge & Cronin Roads, Queensbury, NY 12804 Warren County Learn More

Betty Friedan (1921–2006) Dubbed the “mother” of the modern women’s movement, Betty Friedan was an American feminist writer, activist, and complicated force to be reckoned with. A leading figure in the women’s movement in the United States, she spent five years conducting interviews with women across the country, charting white, middle-class women’s metamorphosis from the independent, career-minded New Woman of the 1920s and 1930s to the housewives of the postwar era who were expected to find total fulfillment as wives and mothers. Published in 1963, The Feminine Mystique hit a nerve, becoming an instant best-seller that continues to be regarded as one of the most influential nonfiction books of the 20th century, often credited with sparking the “second wave “of American feminism. In 1966, Friedan co-founded and was elected the first president of the National Organization for Women (NOW), which aimed to bring women into the mainstream of American society now [in] fully equal partnership with men. In 1970, after stepping down as NOW's first president, Friedan organized the nationwide Women’s Strike for Equality on August 26, the 50th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution granting women the right to vote. The national strike was successful beyond expectations in broadening the feminist movement; the march led by Friedan in New York City alone attracted over 50,000 people. In 1971, Friedan joined other leading feminists to establish the National Women’s Political Caucus. Friedan was also a strong supporter of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution that passed the United States House of Representatives (by a vote of 35 - 24) and Senate (84 - 8) following intense pressure by women’s groups led by NOW in the early 1970s. Following Congressional passage of the amendment, Friedan advocated for ratification of the amendment in the states and supported other women’s rights reforms. As more diverse voices emerged within the women’s movement, Friedan not only struggled to retain her leadership but was criticized by other feminists for focusing on issues facing primarily white, middle-class, educated, heterosexual women. Radical feminists also blasted Friedan for referring to lesbian women in the movement as the “lavender menace,” and for Friedan’s willingness to cooperate with men. Ever politically expedient, Friedan believed the only hope for change was by retaining the movement’s mainstream ties and veneer. This alienated her from younger, radical, and visionary feminists who were increasingly becoming the vanguard of the movement. Friedan nonetheless remained a visible, ardent, and important advocate for women’s rights. Sag Harbor Jewish Cemetery (AKA Independent Jewish Cemetery) ​ NY-114, Sag Harbor, NY 11963 Suffolk County Learn More

Sarah Kirby Hallowell Willis (1818–1914) Sarah was a life-long advocate for abolition, women’s suffrage, and political equality. She became involved in social justice through her older sister, Amy Post, who was an ardent abolitionist and suffrage supporter. They were both frequent guests in the home of fellow abolitionists and suffrage supporters Lucy and Daniel Anthony; Susan B. Anthony’s parents. In 1848, Sarah, her sister Amy, Daniel and Lucy Anthony, Mary Anthony, and Frederick Douglass travelled from Rochester to Seneca Falls to attend the Women’s Rights Convention. At the conclusion of the conference, Sarah signed the Declaration of Sentiments. A few weeks later another convention was held in Rochester, and Sarah was designated as a secretary. In 1853 another convention was held in Rochester. Sarah attended and once again was a designated secretary. When the National Woman's Suffrage Association was formed, Sarah was one of its first members. She was also one of the first members of the Political Equality Club of Rochester. In 1872, she was one of the many women who attempted to register to vote (Susan B. Anthony and fourteen others succeeded in voting illegally). A year later, she was an officer in the Women’s Taxpayer Association--a short lived organization formed to protest the taxation of women without representation. Sarah could be counted on for financial contributions when needed. In 1900, when the fundraising campaign to admit women to the University of Rochester came up short, Sarah contributed $2,000. In 1888, she was invited by Susan B. Anthony to attend her newly formed International Council of Women. Susan proudly introduced Sarah as one of the signers of the Declaration of Sentiments. Sarah was a close friend of Susan and was a frequent visitor at the Anthony home for holidays and birthdays. Sarah died in 1914 at the age of ninety-six. Mount Hope Cemetery Section V, Lot 20 1133 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620 Monroe County Learn More

Janet Livingstone Fotheringham (1895–1935) A teacher of physical culture from Buffalo, NY, Janet was 26 years old when she traveled to Washington to participate in the 1917 suffrage protests at the White House. Her courageous participation in these historic protests earned her a place in suffrage history. Janet was among the second of three groups of protestors who marched from NWP headquarters across the street to the White House. A crowd formed at the scene, and police made no attempt to disperse them. The first group took their places at the upper gate without incident. However, as soon as the second group took their positions at the lower gate, the police immediately arrested both groups of suffrage protestors. When the third group emerged from NWP headquarters, the crowd applauded as the suffragists took their places. The police waited four minutes before arresting them on a charge of “violating an ordinance.” At the police station, all 16 were charged with “unlawful assembly.” In court on July 17 all 16 were found guilty of “obstructing traffic” and sentenced to 60 days at the Occoquan Workhouse, the federal prison in Lorton, Virginia. Family members visited the suffragists in prison and, shocked by their condition, appealed to President Woodrow Wilson. After serving three torturous days at the Occoquan Workhouse, the 16 suffragists—including Janet—were pardoned by the president and released. Forest Lawn Cemetery Section: 27, Lot: 394, Lot: E 1/2, Space: 5 1411 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14209 Erie County Learn More

Edith Wheeler Johnson (1878–1956) Little is documented about Edith's suffrage activities beyond being involved in the Bristol Woman's Club, where she was one of the speakers who spoke on the topic of suffrage. If you know more about her, you can help us tell her story. Please use our Add a Suffragist form to submit your information. Evergreen Cemetery AKA Baptist Hill Cemetery ​ 3812 Co Road 2, Bloomfield, NY 14469 Ontario County Learn More

Gertrude B. (Gertie) Ferguson (1871–1964) Gertrude "Gertie" was very active in her native Glens Falls community as Librarian, and later Director, at Crandall Free Library. She was a member of Study Club, Social Worker’s Club, and Glens Falls Garden Club. In 1914 Gertie was present at the official reformation of the Political Equality Club of Glens Falls, and was elected corresponding and recording Secretary. Gertie also represented the club at the 46th annual convention of the New York State Woman Suffrage Association in Rochester in 1914. Bio by Tisha Dolton. Glens Falls Cemetery Plot 11, Lot 10 38 Ogden Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801 Warren County Learn More

Anne Fitzhugh Miller (1856–1912) Anne emerged as a spokesperson for the suffrage cause at the New York State Constitutional Convention, held in 1894. There, she gave a speech advocating women’s suffrage. Anne attended most state suffrage conventions from that time on until her death, and was regarded as one of Ontario County’s leading suffragists. Peterboro Cemetery ​ Peterboro Road, Peterboro, NY 13134 Madison County Learn More

Reverend Juanita Breckenridge Bates (1860–1946) Rev. Juanita was an American Congregationalist minister, her application being the test case to determine the policy of the denomination. She was the first woman to be awarded a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Oberlin College (1891), and Oberlin was the first school to award this degree. While at Oberlin, she was a member of Ladies' Literary Society. For decades, Rev. Juanita was a community organizer in the women's suffrage movement. Rev. Juanita chaired the Suffrage Party in Ithaca, New York, and was a leader of Tompkins County, New York in New York state's campaign for woman suffrage. The city of Ithaca and Tompkins County carried for suffrage. Rev. Juanita was interested in The Social Service League, Y.W.C.A. work, and both home and foreign mission work. She served as first vice-president of the Ithaca Political Study Club; was a member of Susquehanna Ministerial Association, New York State Congregational Conference; and was a director of New York State Federation of Women's Clubs, Ithaca Woman's Club, and City Federation of Women's Organizations of Ithaca. Lake View Cemetery ​ 605 East Shore Drive, Ithaca, NY 14850 Tompkins County Learn More

Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826–1898) Matilda was a suffragist, Native American rights activist, abolitionist, freethinker, and author. She is the eponym for the Matilda Effect, which describes the tendency to deny women credit for scientific invention. Matilda was the youngest speaker at the 1852 National Women's Rights Convention held in Syracuse, New York. She was a tireless worker and public speaker, and contributed numerous articles to the press, being regarded as one of the most logical, fearless and scientific writers of her day. During 1878–1881, she published and edited at Syracuse the National Citizen, a paper devoted to the cause of women. In 1880, she was a delegate from the National Woman Suffrage Association to the Republican and Greenback conventions in Chicago and the Democratic convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. With Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, she was for years in the forefront of the suffrage movement, and collaborated with them in writing the History of Woman Suffrage (1881–1887). She was the author of the Woman's Rights Catechism (1868); Woman as Inventor (1870); Who Planned the Tennessee Campaign (1880); and Woman, Church and State (1893). Matilda served as president of the New York State Suffrage Association for five years, and president of the National Woman's Suffrage Association during 1875–76, which was one of the affiliating societies forming the national suffrage association, in 1890; she also held the office of second vice-president, vice-president-at-large and chairman of the executive committee of the original National Woman Suffrage Association. Matilda's views on suffrage and feminism were considered too radical by many members of the suffrage association, and in consequence, she organized in 1890 the Woman's National Liberal Union, whose objects were: To assert woman's natural right to self-government; to show the cause of delay in the recognition of her demand; to preserve the principles of civil and religious liberty; to arouse public opinion to the danger of a union of church and state through an amendment to the constitution, and to denounce the doctrine of woman's inferiority. She served as president of this union from its inception until her death in Chicago, in 1898. (Source: Sue Boland) Fayetteville Cemetery ​ Fayetteville Manlius Road, Manlius, NY 13104 Onondaga County Learn More

Margaret Lewis Morgan Norrie (1869–1927) In 1913, Margaret was appointed 10th campaign district chairman of the Empire State Campaign Committee. She was a friend of Carrie Chapman Catt and often accompanied her on her campaigns. The counties in the 10th campaign district included her home county of Dutchess, as well as Putnam, Columbia, Ulster and Greene. One can find numerous articles regarding Mrs. Norrie's suffrage work, and many more after enfranchisement was gained. To summarize Margaret's activism in a short biographical sketch would be a challenge, as she was involved in 28 organizations. (Poughkeepsie Eagle News, 12/20/1927). She was a leader in the fight for woman suffrage and had a passion for politics. In her role as chairman of the Tenth Campaign District, she was often the chief speaker or presided over various meetings. The address she gave at the opening of the new headquarters of the local Suffrage party on the second floor of the Hinkley Building in Poughkeepsie is printed in full in the Poughkeepsie Eagle-News, Feb 26, 1916 issue. Saint James Episcopal Churchyard ​ 4526 Albany Post Road, Hyde Park, NY 12538 Dutchess County Learn More

Martha Matilda Harper (1857–1950) Martha was born in Canada and immigrated to the US as a domestic servant. Though not well educated and without wealth, Martha became a successful entrepreneur and created the first business franchise system in the United States. With a "secret" hair tonic recipe she most likely obtained from her late Canadian employer, a doctor and herbalist, Martha opened the Harper Method Shop in the Powers Building in downtown Rochester. Susan B. Anthony was a customer of Harper's. Susan B. Anthony was known to praise Martha as an example of women's success in business. Martha offered her beauty shop model to help poor women rise up and become entrepreneurs. In time, there were 350 sites worldwide, including hair dressing schools, laboratories, factories for hair products and make up, as well as hair salons. Both Calvin Coolidge and Woodrow Wilson were customers. In the 1920s, Martha married James McBain and joined in a partnership with him. Martha retained the name of her business and her position as president. In the 1940s, Martha was a generous donor to the Susan B. Anthony House project. Riverside Cemetery ​ 2650 Lake Avenue, Rochester, NY 14612 Monroe County Learn More

Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm (1924–2005) The first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress, Shirley was a passionate and effective advocate for the needs of minorities, women, and children and changed the nation's perception about the capabilities of women and African Americans. Shirley spent seven terms in the NYS House of Representatives. As a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969, Shirley championed minority education and employment opportunities. In 1972, she became the first major-party black candidate (and the second woman) to make a bid for the U.S. presidency. Shirley was one of the early members of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and active in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993. From Shirley Chisholm—Unbought and Unbossed. Forest Lawn Cemetery Birchwood Mausoleum 1411 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14209 Erie County Learn More

Annie Lorraine Rose Fitch (1868–1940) Annie was born in Flushing, New York. The wife of a prominent lawyer, Joseph Fitch, she was known to be involved in charitable works in her community. Annie served as the Vice President of Flushing's Equal Franchise Association leading up to women earning the right to vote in New York State. Volume six of the History of Woman Suffrage (p. 462) lists Mrs. Joseph Fitch as one of many "capable officials" who in 1915 helped with various activities on behalf of the cause, including canvassing and clerical work. (Courtesy alexanderstreet.com) Joseph died in 1917, the same year New York gave women the right to vote, and any record of Annie Fitch's suffrage activities ends there. As suggested in the Alexander Street document, "she may have lost her energy at that time." Or perhaps we don't know more because it appears she had no grandchildren or great-grandchildren who would document her life on a genealogy site. If you know more about her, you can help us tell her story. Please use our Add a Suffragist form to submit your information. Annie is buried with her husband. Flushing Cemetery ​ 163–06 46th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11358 Queens County Learn More

Martha J. Hadley Stebbins (1837–1921) A lifelong resident of Churchville, NY and an educator, Martha was a member of the New York State Woman's Suffrage Association. Martha wrote letters of support and participated in fundraising for New York State Senators who supported the vote for women. Examples of her work are archived in letters written to Mariana Wright Chapman in 1900. Chapman then served as the president of the New York State Woman's Suffrage Association. These letters are part of the Chapman collection at Swarthmore College. Martha represented New York at the National Conventions during the 1890-1910 time period. At the 1910 state convention, Martha Stebbins was awarded a lifetime membership to this organization through the Mary Anthony Fund. Creekside Cemetery L, lot 253, grave 7 N Main St, Churchville, NY 14428 Monroe County Learn More

Lavinia R. Davis, MD (1862–1945) Lavinia graduated from Oberlin College, the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States, in 1886. In 1896, she graduated from Syracuse University's College of Medicine as a physician. The following year, she established a general practice on Main Street in Oneida, NY, becoming the only female physician in the county. She practiced in Oneida for 47 years. Starting in 1891, Lavinia served as state superintendent of franchise for the New York Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). She addressed WCTU county and state conventions on suffrage and presented franchise reports. She was a charter member of the WCTU local union in Oneida, and in 1900 became president of the Oneida local suffrage club. The watchwords of the WCTU: Agitate—Educate—Legislate fittingly characterize the activities of Dr. Lavinia Davis. Dr. Lavinia spoke before a New York Senate committee in 1903 and 1904 in support of a legislative measure extending to female taxpayers of third-class cities the right to vote on questions of taxation. She participated on a legislative work committee for the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA). Dr. Lavinia expressed her reasons for supporting suffrage at state conventions. In 1905, she presented the motto for Oneida: "She who is called upon to people the world should be law-giver as well as life-giver." At the 1908 state convention, she announced that the WCTU and the state Woman Suffrage Association cooperated in bills before the legislature and "a full suffrage measure was introduced but lost though a most enthusiastic hearing was held, women attending from all parts of the state." Her response to roll call in 1915: "Women prepare children for the world, give them the power to help prepare the world for children." From 1891-1918, Dr. Lavinia "sent out hundreds of suffrage leaflets and appeals to the local unions every year." She established the Davis Loan Fund back at Oberlin College in 1923. The fund provided loans to deserving young women. In 1931, a Suffrage Memorial Tablet was placed in the State Capitol Building, Albany, NY by the NY League of Women Voters. It honored eighty-four NY women who had labored to gain woman suffrage. The list of names included Lavinia R. Davis. (Courtesy AlexanderStreet.com) Evergreen Cemetery ​ 9364-9374 County Route 2, Orwell, NY 13144 Oswego County Learn More

Mary Edwards Walker, MD (1832–1919) The only woman ever awarded the Medal of Honor—the US military's highest decoration—was a gender-queer Civil War surgeon named Dr. Mary Edwards Walker. Mary was a suffragist, a veteran and POW, and a talented doctor who challenged convention in every way. Turned down in her attempts to join the Union army, Mary volunteered at first. She finally got a contract, and proved able and unflappable—but still couldn't get a formal commission. The American Medical Association tried hard to block her, both with outright sexism and more veiled critique of her training in "eclectic" or what today we'd call alternative & homeopathic medicine. In the 1850s traditional medical schools wouldn't admit women, so the distinction between credentialing & sexism was a thin line. Dr. Mary was a committed suffragist who used her public profile to advance the cause. She is the first woman known to try and vote in New York, in her hometown of Oswego. It was 1867, early in what became known as the New Departure, a strategy of voting as civil disobedience. She campaigned for dress reform for decades, before and after the war and as a longtime officer of the Dress Reform Association. She was very close to Belva Lockwood, landmark lawyer and presidential candidate, and they worked together for suffrage through the 1870s. Dr. Mary's contributions to the movement were all but erased from the historical record by Stanton and Anthony, who were threatened by her and uncomfortable with her gender-bending. She was arrested repeatedly for her clothing, and charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace in both New York City and Baltimore. At that point she was still wearing long hair and a mid-calf dress over pants. By the 1870s, Walker cut her hair short and wore unambiguously male clothing for the rest of her life. She sat for photos and had portraits painted in those years—in top hat & dinner jacket, Dr. Mary wanted to be seen clearly for who she was. There are two children's books about Dr. Walker: Mary Walker Wears the Pants and Mary Wears What She Wants. But the most fitting tribute is Washington DC's Whitman-Walker Clinic, named for Walt Whitman and Mary Walker. The clinic has been serving the health and well-being of LGBTQ in Washington for more than 40 years. (Biographical info from Dr. Mary Walker: An American Radical by Sharon Harris.) Bio by Rachel B. Tiven. Rural Cemetery ​ 242 Cemetery Road, Oswego, NY 13126 Oswego County Learn More

Anna Sands McAvoy O'Shea (1852–1937) Anna was an activist and suffragist from the age of sixteen until women won the right to vote in 1920. Her most notable participation in the suffrage movement came from her work in New York City with the St. Catherine's Welfare Association, a Catholic women's organization. Anna played a major role in establishing the group and organized the first meeting, held on Jan 7, 1911 at the Covenant of Peace, 225 West Fourteenth St. in New York City. She served as the organization's vice-president in 1917. Anna actively engaged in the group's effort to spread the support of enfranchisement to women. The women of St. Catherine's Welfare Association rejected the general policy of the Catholic Church opposing women's enfranchisement, instead viewing it as their mission to change that policy. Kensico Cemetery ​ 273 Lakeview Avenue, Valhalla, NY 10595 Westchester County Learn More

Harriett Newell Austin, MD (1829–1891) Harriett graduated from Mary Gove Nichols American Hydropathic Institute in 1851. Because mainstream medical schools did not admit women, she and the other women physicians of the era had to seek training at such irregular institutions. Harriett and her contemporaries saw the water cure as the basis for a larger reform movement. They were attempting to expand the role of women in society and improve their status in the public sphere by bolstering their health, through hygienic regimens and reformed modes of dress that minimized restriction of movement for women. At Our Home, female patients wore an American costume that Austin designed: a tunic or shortened dress, with hem landing at the knee, worn over loose pants. It was called American costume as a rhetorical contrast with the fashionable, restrictive French costume that the dress reform movement sought to eradicate. The garments were designed to minimize restrictions on women's movement and promote health and hygiene. Green Mountain Cemetery Jackson lot 10071 Greenmount Avenue, Dansville, NY 14437 Livingston County Learn More

Grace Niebuhr Kimball, MD (1855–1942) A missionary and humanitarian with the American Medical Missionaries during the persecution of Armenians during the Hamidian Massacre in Turkey, Grace arrived at Vassar College in 1896 to serve as assistant physician. She left after four years. In addition to her private practice, Grace was the head of the Poughkeepsie YWCA for 41 years. In 1917, as part of the YWCA, she was involved in the creation of the local "League for Women's Service” that supported the war effort. She was the only woman in the state to lead a county's Military Census. She was a member of the Dutchess County Defense Council. In 1909, Grace attended a pro-suffrage meeting in Poughkeepsie and emerged as a visible leader as reported in the Poughkeepsie Eagle News. Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery Section E 342 South Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Dutchess County Learn More

Eveline Ballintine, MD (1852–1921) Dr. Eveline was one of a number of prominent early female physicians mentioned in the History of Women’s Suffrage.In January 1887 the Provident Dispensary was opened for business. It provided free medical care for women and children and was operated solely by women physicians. The clinic was located on Front Street in the city of Rochester by the Genesee River. Rochester City Council supplied Provident Dispensary with three rent free rooms and a $100 budget. The rest of their funds came from private donors. During this time, dispensaries were founded to meet the needs of urban, working poor families. Dispensaries held clinic hours and made home visits. Beyond medical needs, they met the social needs of their patients, helping them find employment, providing food and clothing, and teaching about hygiene and sanitation. Unlike other dispensaries, Provident Dispensary was founded specifically to serve women and children. Provident Dispensary was established in conjunction with the Practitioner’s Society, a medical society for women in Rochester. Women physicians during this time period were largely excluded from practicing in hospitals. Provident Dispensary gave women the chance to practice medicine, maintain their skills, and care for poor women and children, a core value of their mission. The founders of Provident Dispensary were: Drs. Sarah Dolley, Mary Stark, Anna Searing, Harriet Turner, Eveline Ballintine, Frances Hamilton, Lettie Woodruff, Sarah Perry, Mary Brownell, Marion Craig, Mary Slaight, and Minerva Palmer. Mount Hope Cemetery Section E Lot 9 W½ 1133 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester, NY 14620 Monroe County Learn More