Women -- Suffrage -- History; Women -- Suffrage -- United States -- History; Women's rights -- History; Women's rights -- United States -- History
In 1917 in the midst of the war, when the Federal Suffrage Amendment
was hanging in the balance in Congress, a petition from the State
Federation of Women's Clubs was sent to the Legislature through Mrs.
Alfred Bartlett of Los Angeles that it would memorialize Congress on
the subject. Without a dissenting vote the following passed both
Houses in just twelve minutes: "Whereas, the women of the United
States are being called upon to share the burdens and sacrifices of
the present national crisis and they are patriotically responding to
that call, be it Resolved by the Senate of California with the
Assembly concurring that the denial of the right of women to vote on
equal terms with men is an injustice and we do urge upon Congress the
submission to the Legislatures of the States for their ratification of
an amendment to the U. S. Constitution granting women the right to
vote."
RATIFICATION. Governor William D. Stephens called the Legislature to
meet in special session Nov. 1, 1919, for the one purpose of ratifying
the Federal Amendment, which had been submitted June 4. The Women's
Legislative Council had unanimously urged this action in convention.
More than a hundred members of the various suffrage societies went to
Sacramento and before the vote was taken they gave a luncheon for the
legislators, which was attended by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor
and State officials. The speakers were the Governor and the presidents
of many State organizations of women. The ratification was not a
matter of controversy and the vote in favor was unanimous in the
Senate, 73 to 2 in the House--Robert Madison of Santa Rosa and C. W.
Greene of Paso Robles.
Mrs. Mary L. Cheney, secretary of the University of California,
prepared for this chapter a complete list of the offices filled by
women and the positions held by women in the universities, which the
lack of space compelled to be omitted. In 1918 for the first time four
were elected to the Legislature and received important committee
appointments and there have been a few other women legislators. In San
Francisco a Doctor of Jurisprudence of the University of California,
Mrs. Annette Abbott Adams, was the first in the country to hold the
position of U. S. District Attorney. In 1920 another, Miss Frances H.
Wilson, was assistant district attorney. On the teaching force of the
State University at Berkeley were ninety-three women in December,
1919, including Dr. Jessica Peixotto, full professor of economics,
three associate and seven assistant professors and two assistant
professors in the medical college. At Leland Stanford Junior
University are one woman professor emeritus (psychology); two
associate professors, eight assistant professors--over 40 women on the
teaching force.
FOOTNOTES:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account