On This Day in 1839…Frances Willard by Donna Schlachter

Frances Willard as a young woman -- Wikipedia

This month, our highlighted person from history is Frances Elizabeth Caroline Willard. Born on this day in 1839, she carried a heavy legacy in her names. Her sister, Elizabeth Caroline, had died the previous year, and her parents bestowed not one but two middle names on the wee girl. She was also named after British novelist Frances (Fanny) Burney, as well as the American poet, Frances Osgood.

Frances Willard had an older brother, Oliver, and a younger sister, Mary. Their father was a farmer, naturalist, and legislator, and her mother was a schoolteacher, meaning that the family was never wealthy, although they weren’t considered destitute, either.

When Frances was two, her family moved to Oberlin, Ohio, so her father could study for the ministry, but by the time she was around seven, her father’s health had taken a turn for the worse. They moved that same year to Janesville, Wisconsin, where they joined the Methodist church, and Frances and her sister attended school. Their final move came when Frances was 19, when they moved to Evanston, Illinois. Her father, his health now recovered, became a banker, finally assuring the family’s stability, both in terms of location and finances.

After graduating from the North Western Female College, Frances held various teaching positions, following in her mother’s footsteps. At the age of 32, she was promoted to president of the brand new Evanston College for Ladies, and when that school became the Women’s College of Northwestern University two years later, she was named the first Dean of Women. However, she left this position the following year after breaking off her engagement with the university’s president.

That same year, she discovered her true calling in the women’s temperance movement, participating in the founding convention where she was elected secretary. In 1876, she became head of their Publications Department, and focused her energies on publishing and building the readership of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) weekly newspaper.

Frances ran for president of the national WCTU and won in 1879, holding that post until her death in 1898. Her tireless efforts for the temperance cause included a 50-day speaking tour in 1874. She traveled an average of 30,000 miles a year and presented an average of 400 lectures for the next 10 years.

As president for the WCTU, Frances also lobbied for women’s suffrage. She believed that empowering women with the right to vote would allow women to fulfill their potential as the companions and counselors of men, rather than simply an incumbrance or a toy.

Frances learning to ride a bike -- from Wikipedia

 

She also became interested in the effect of the international drug trade on homes and families, and took roles in the National Council of Women, serving as president from 1888 to 1890. At the same time, she expanded her role in the World WCTU, again serving as president.

Frances, 1890-1898 -- from Wikipedia

 

Frances passed away at the age of 59 after contracting influenza while preparing to sail for England and France. However, she has not been forgotten.

Frances Willard's and her mother's grave -- from Wikipedia

 

Some of her achievements and legacies: 

•  Supported kindergarten education
•  Supported federally-funded training for teachers
•  Instrumental in the passage of the 18th and 19th Amendments
•  First woman included in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol
•  Commemorated on a US Postage stamp
•  Inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame
•  Her home has become the headquarters for the WCTU as well as a museum, and is listed on the National Historic Landmark registry
•  A number of schools in the US have been named after her, as well as a street in Chico, California, and a hospital in Chicago
•  Willard Hall at Oklahoma State University, first built as a women’s dormitory, now serves as the home of the College of Education

Frances Willard statue

US Postage stamp 1940 -- National Postal Museum 

About Donna: 

 

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers' groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching committed writers eager to tell their story.



www.DonnaSchlachter.com

Newsletter: https://www.thepurposefullwriter.com/newslettersignup Stay connected so you learn about new releases, preorders, and presales, as well as check out featured authors, book reviews, and a little corner of peace. Plus: Receive 2 free ebooks simply for signing up for our free newsletter!

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DonnaschlachterAuthor

The Purpose-Full Writer FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Donna-Schlachter/author/B01180A2EE

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-schlachter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=donna+schlachter

Need a writing coach? www.ThePurposeFullWriter.com





Resources:

https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/women-on-stamps-part-2-education-enriching-lives/frances-elizabeth-willard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Willard