MIT Alumnae & the Votes for Women Committee

In June 1909, as lilacs and rhododendrons were blooming in Boston gardens, the Votes for Women Committee embarked on a series of open-air meetings to educate people about the importance of women's suffrage. By early September, traveling by automobile, trolley, train, and boat, the Votes for Women Committee spoke to an estimated 24,900 people in 97 Massachusetts towns. ¹ 

The Votes for Women Committee members represented multiple organizations: National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), Massachusetts Woman's Suffrage Association (MWSA), Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government (BESAGG), and the College Equal Suffrage League (CESL). Notably, three of the nine Votes for Women Committee members and four of the eleven speakers were Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) alumnae. Compared to women's colleges like Radcliffe, Simmons, and Mount Holyoke, which enrolled hundreds of women annually, MIT enrolled an average of forty female students each year from 1887 through 1909.

For decades, Massachusetts suffrage activists networked with colleges, women's clubs, and sewing circles to gather support for their cause. They sponsored women's suffrage festivals, rallies, and lectures with national and international guest speakers. However, this type of structured event attracted individuals already invested in women's suffrage - they were preaching to the choir when they needed to convert the masses.

If they are uninterested it is because you have not made it interesting. Make it so. Make it picturesque [...] make it easy.

Mary Page believed the suffrage movement needed to move from "scheduled formal events to informal public action." ²  With her encouragement, in 1909, MWSA and BESAGG opened Boston storefront offices at 585 Boylston Street, just a few blocks from MIT's main campus. As a storefront, they posted hours inviting passers-by to drop in, sign the petition, and learn more about the need for women's suffrage.

NAWSA released a 1908 petition for "an amendment to the National Constitution which shall enable women to vote." ³  Nicknamed the "Monster Petition" for its goal of one million signatures, NAWSA would depend on its state chapters like MWSA to rally support. Assigned a target of 150,000 signatures, the Massachusetts suffragists sought innovative methods. ⁴ 

MWSA opened a "pop-up" Suffrage Store on May 29th at 162 Tremont St, described as "a new form of propaganda work [where] cake and candy are for sale for the benefit of the cause; petitions for signatures, a table of suffrage literature, [and lunches accompanied by] good speakers." ⁵ Across from the Boston Common, Tremont Street was a busy thoroughfare. Passers-by added one thousand more signatures to the petition. ⁶  On June 2nd, the last day, the store remained open until 10 pm as Suffragists gathered to celebrate the 90th Birthday of  Julia Ward Howe , co-founder of the MWSA and the New England Woman Suffrage Association (NEWSA). That night, the Votes for Women Committee announced it "[would] continue [the campaign for suffrage] in a way that has never before been tried here." ⁷  On June 5th, Bedford would be the "first of a series of outdoor meetings which the Massachusetts suffrage association is arranging to hold all over the state." ⁸ 

The Votes for Women Committee researched and arranged for permits in each town where they planned to hold open-air meetings. Days before, an advance party distributed "large yellow posters which were placed in store windows, nailed to telegraph poles, and spread upon the sign post of every country crossroad." ¹  In a letter to Mary Hutcheson Page, Mary Ware Dennett wrote, "[We] had the benefit of a very large amount of newspaper notice, most of which was not of the  yellow sort ." ⁹  The enthusiastic press documented the open-air meetings and amplified the Votes for Women Committee's message.

In this new campaign, the Committee deployed smaller teams of four women who traveled by trolley and train across the state, carrying everything they would need for an open-air meeting: banners, flags, flyers, and buttons. Susan FitzGerald, "commander-in-chief and orator-in-chief," and Edith M. Haynes participated for the entire month. Mary Dennett and Alfretta McClure traveled with them for the first two weeks. Florence Luscomb and Katherine Tyng rotated in for the final two weeks. ¹  The July 31 edition of the Fitchburg Sentinel describes them as a "Flying Squadron" ²⁵  and the name follows them for the rest of the tour. Today, this phrase conjures images of planes streaking across the sky. However, aviation was still experimental in 1909, six years after the Wright Brothers' historic  first flight in December 1903 . Where did this name come from? The earliest uses of the term "Flying Squadron" harkens to Catherine de Medici's ladies-in-waiting: L'Escadron volant. ²⁶  Recruited for their beauty and intelligence, they were central to advancing Catherine's political agenda. By the late 19th century, the term "Flying Squadron" evolved to describe a small, mobile military force that could be deployed quickly. ²⁷  The Votes for Women Committee had indeed launched a Flying Squadron of Suffragists. The Votes for Women Committee also invited Phoebe Dwight, a reporter from the Boston Traveller, to accompany them. As an embedded reporter, Phoebe offers insight into the day-to-day routine.

I was a militant suffragette yesterday. [...] Instead of the much-talked-of one-night stands of the actor, they are to make three stands a day with trolley jumps in between. In the 28 days of the trip they expect to cover about 1500 miles by trolley.

Phoebe Dwight was the pen name for the Boston Traveller's "women's interest" features. In 1909, this might have been  Persis Dwight Hannah  or  Eleanor Ladd .

During June and July, the Votes for Women Committee averaged two to three meetings every week. In August, the Flying Squadrons covered three towns in a single day, then hopped on a trolley for their next destination. Of the 97 meetings conducted that summer, 68 occurred in August, with 15 at factory gates.

It was one long scramble from beginning to end, [...] But it was interesting - wonderfully so, and instructive - certainly to us, and we fondly hope it was to the various batches of the populace who were the victims. Certainly, there has been no other form of suffrage work in the state, during my recollection that has begun to promise so well for results.

Ultimately, the Massachusetts suffragists gathered 40,000 ⁴⁵  of the 400,000 signatures nationwide. On 18 April 1910, "the largest parade of women ever known in this city [Washington D.C.]" ⁴⁷  advanced on the Capitol to carry their petition to the steps of Congress. Suffragists from every state presented bundles of petitions tied in yellow ribbons. Although Congress did not act on the petition, the event brought national attention to the cause. Open-air meetings continued over the next few years. Florence Luscomb gave a speech describing the Votes for Women Committee's first open-air meetings. Susan FitzGerald published an article on "The Rules for Open-air Meetings" in the Woman's Journal in April 1910. Boston suffragists continued to find new ways to make women's suffrage exciting and accessible. They sponsored large parades in 1914 and 1915. BESAGG opened the  Sunflower Lunchroom  on Tremont Street in 1915. Although many members were pacifists during the First World War, Boston's suffrage organizations publicly supported "the war effort:" Suffrage Coffee Houses served the families and soldiers stationed at Fort Devens. Others hosted dances for Service Members. Some, like Katharine McCormick, served on national committees. By 1909, the women's suffrage movement had been active for over 60 years and spanned multiple generations. Helen Parker and Florence Luscomb had attended suffrage events with their parents in the 1890s. Katharine McCormick's mother, Josephine Wirt Dexter, was also part of the Votes for Women Committee. Mary Page's daughter founded a suffrage club at Radcliffe. MIT alumnae and their families were part of a movement that eventually gained enough inertia to carry the required votes to pass the 19th Amendment, granting suffrage to women. To learn more about MIT alumnae and their work for women's suffrage, take a walk through history with the Association of MIT Alumnae's  In Her Footsteps: March to Suffrage  walking tour to be released in August 2024.

Until the 20th Century, a married woman replaced her last name with her husband's. Furthermore, unlike men, the honorifics Mrs. or Miss immediately classified women by marital status. For this project, when introduced, women's names have been expanded to include their birth names. Except for a direct quote, the Mrs. or Miss has been dropped.

While both groups campaigned for women's suffrage, their methods differed. The headlines applied both terms, even though the Boston women considered themselves suffragists. Other reporters were better informed. On August 21, 1909, The Fall River Herald printed three women's suffrage stories. On pages one and four, they ran a lengthy article on the August 20th open-air meeting in Fall River, including quotes from the "Suffragist Orators." ⁴⁸  Below that article, the editors inserted two shorter articles on page four. The first on UK suffragettes who sent "volleys of bottles, brickbats and slates through the windows" ⁴⁹  to disrupt a Cabinet meeting, and the second on an anti-suffragist "going around the world to study woman's condition." ⁵⁰ 

1. “Florence Luscomb Papers in the Woman’s Rights Collection. Suffrage Materials by Florence Luscomb, 1909-1920, 1945, n.d. WRC, Folder 635.” Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:rad.schl:37685995. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.
2. Panetta, Meg. “Biographical Sketch of Mary Hutcheson Page | Alexander Street Documents.” Homepage | Alexander Street Documents, https://documents.alexanderstreet.com/d/1009638325. Accessed 26 Mar. 2024.
3. “Petition to Congress.” Woman’s Journal, Vol. 40. No. 2, 9 Jan. 1909, p. 13. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:rad.schl:17553979?n=13.
4. “150,000 Names Wanted.” The Boston Globe, 25 Apr. 1909.
5. “The Suffrage Store.” Woman’s Journal, Vol. 40, No. 22, 29 May 1909. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:rad.schl:17553979?n=88.
6. “Guy A. Ham Is Confident.” Boston Evening Transcript, 2 June 1909.
7. “Brought ‘The Queen’s Message.’” Boston Evening Transcript, 3 June 1909.
8. “Proud Parents.” The Boston Globe, 3 June 1909.
9. “Mary Ware Dennett Papers. Suffrage. [Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association, 1909.]. MC 392, Folder 203.” Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., 24 Aug. 1909, https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:rad.schl:37986318.
10. “To Meet Next Saturday.” The Boston Globe, 6 June 1909.
11. “On Bedford Common.” The Boston Globe, 13 June 1909.
12. “State Correspondence: Massachusetts.” Woman’s Journal, Vol. 40, No. 31, 31 July 1909. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:rad.schl:17553979?n=126.
13. Crowley, Teresa A. “State Correspondence: Massachusetts.” Woman’s Journal, Vol. 40, No. 35, 28 Aug. 1909. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:rad.schl:17553979?n=142.
14. “Suffragettes Storm Revere.” The Boston Globe, 8 July 1909.
15. “Suffragist Kites with 40-Foot Tails.” Daily Evening Item, 8 July 1909.
16. “Speak at Dedham.” The Boston Globe, 11 July 1909.
17. “At Open Air Meeting.” The Boston Globe, 10 July 1909.
18. “Speak from Automobile.” The Boston Globe, 11 July 1909.
19. “Again Outwit Authorities.” Boston Evening Transcript, 15 July 1909.
20. “Novel Scene at Nantasket.” Fall River Daily Globe, 16 July 1909.
21. “State Correspondence: Massachusetts.” Woman’s Journal, Vol. 40, No. 31, 31 July 1909. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:rad.schl:17553979?n=126.
22. “Had Meeting in Reading.” The Boston Globe, 18 July 1909.
23. “Suffragettes Visit Nahant.” Daily Evening Item, 23 July 1909.
24. “Go Where the People Are.” The Boston Globe, 1 Aug. 1909.
25. “Flying Squadron of Women Is Coming.” The Fitchburg Sentinel, 31 July 1909.
26. Dimuro, Gina. “Catherine De Medici And Her ‘Flying Squadron’ Of Female Spies.” All That’s Interesting, 14 Mar. 2018, https://allthatsinteresting.com/catherine-de-medici.
27. “The Royal Navy Flying or Detached Squadrons, 1869-1882.” Victorian Royal Navy, https://www.pdavis.nl/Flying.htm. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.
28. “To Make Tour of the States.” The Berkshire Evening Eagle, 2 Aug. 1909.
29. Dwight, Phoebe. “State Correspondence: Massachusetts.” Woman’s Journal, Vol. 40, No. 32, 7 Aug. 1909. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:rad.schl:17553979?n=130.
30. “Women Talk for Suffrage on the Common.” Fitchburg Sentinel, 3 Aug. 1909, p. 5.
31. “Women Suffragists Here.” The Greenfield Recorder, 11 Aug. 1909.
32. “Street Corner Crowd Hears Woman Suffrage Arguments.” The North Adams Transcript, 5 Aug. 1909.
33. North Adams Transcript, 9 Aug. 1909.
34. “Mayor Apologizes to Suffragists.” Daily Evening Item, 11 Aug. 1909.
35. “Suffragettes Expound.” The Holyoke Transcript, 10 Aug. 1909.
36. “Massachusetts Meetings.” Woman’s Journal, Vol. 40, No. 35, 28 Aug. 1909. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:rad.schl:17553979?n=140.
37. “Woman Suffragists Begin Equla Rights Campaign in Worcester.” Worcester Telegraph, 17 Aug. 1909. Courtesy of Newspaper.com
38. “Clubs and Societies.” Evening Gazette, 14 Aug. 1909.
39. “State Correspondence Massachusetts,” Woman’s Journal, Vol. 40, No. 36, 4 Sept. 1909. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., https://nrs.lib.harvard.edu/urn-3:rad.schl:17553979?n=144.
40. “Suffragists Here on Friday.” Fall River Daily Evening News, 19 Aug. 1909.
41. “Two Meetings in City Square.” The Fall River Daily Globe, 21 Aug. 1909.
42. “Local Lines.” Fall River Daily Globe, 21 Aug. 1909.
43. “Suffrage Lectures at $1,500,000 Palace.” The Boston Globe, 22 Aug. 1909.
44. “Crowd of 15,000 at Marshfield Fair.” The Boston Globe, 27 Aug. 1909.
45. “Says Trip Was a Success.” The Boston Globe, 1 Sept. 1909.
46. “Fail to Convert C.R. Saunders.” Boston Evening Transcript, 3 Sept. 1909.
47. “National Gathering Whose Slogan Will Be ‘Votes for Women.’” The Washington Herald, 10 Apr. 1910.
48. “'Votes for Women" Stump Speeches.” The Fall River Herald, 21 Aug. 1909, pp. 1 & 4.
49. “Suffragettes Hurl Bricks.” The Fall River Herald, 21 Aug. 1909, p. 4.
50. “Anti-Suffragist’s Trip.” The Fall River Daily Herald, 21 Aug. 1909, p. 4.

Bever, Marilynn Arsey, The women of M.I.T., 1871-1941: who they were, what they achieved. 1976, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, SB Department of Humanities thesis. DSpace @ MIT.  http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33804 . Accessed 8 Aug. 2023.