Born: 28 September 1839, United States
Died: 17 February 1898
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following is excerpted from Famous Women: An Outline of Feminine Achievement Through the Ages With Life Stories of Five Hundred Noted Women. Written by Joseph Adelman, published 1926 by Ellis M Lonow Company.
Frances E. Willard (1839-1898), an American educator and temperance reformer, born at Churchville, N.Y. She was graduated from the Northwestern Female Colllege, Evanston, Ill., in 1859, taught in various western towns, and in 1871 became dean of the Women’s College of the Northwestern University. In 1874 she resigned this position, was elected secretary of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union in that year, and in 1879 she became its president, an office she held until her death. In her management of the association she displayed great executive ability and a remarkable genius for organization. She declared herself in favor of woman’s suffrage and lectured occasionally upon the subject, deeming the ballot a protection to women from the miseries caused by drink. In 1883 she founded the World’s Christian Temperance Union, and in 1888 became its president. When she visited England, in 1892 she addressed a mass meeting at Exeter Hall, consisting of one of the largest audiences ever held there. From 1892-1898 she was editor-in-chief of the Union Signal, the official organ of the temperance movement. In her work Miss Willard displayed an untiring energy, and for ten years she averaged a meeting a day, meanwhile continuing her literary labors. She wrote a number of books, including “Woman and Temperance,” and “Glimpses of Fifty Years.”
From Woman: Her Position, Influence and Achievement Throughout the Civilized World. Designed and Arranged by William C. King. Published in 1900 by The King-Richardson Co. Copyright 1903 The King-Richardson Co.:
Frances E. Willard, The Foremost American Temperance Reformer, 1839 – 1898 A.D.
There may be some who feel that Miss Willard has been too extravagantly loved and praised, if so, they are the people who have not known the story of her life.
In these pages we can give but a few leading facts of one of the busiest and most fruitful lives of this century.
In the first place great honor should be given to her parents for what their daughter was and did.
Frances’ early girlhood days were spent on a farm on the frontier in what was then the territory of Wisconsin. She was a delicate child at first, but she dressed simply and lived much in the open air. Her parents were her teachers. After some years a highly educated young woman was engaged to instruct Frances and her brother and sister.
At seventeen, Frances and her sister went to Milwaukee Female College, and thence to the Northwest Female College at Evanston, Illinois, where she graduated with high honors.
Miss Willard taught in schools, seminaries, and colleges for sixteen years, her last being that of dean of the Women’s College of the Northwestern University. She was the same time professor of æsthetics and natural sciences.
One of her great achievements was the introduction of the system of self-government among the students and bringing to pass its successful operation.
The next period of her life is marked by the temperance crusade in Ohio. Her soul was deeply stirred, she determined to join the movement. The making of the Women’s College an organic part of the University prevented her from carrying out her plans for the college; she resigned her position as dean and professor and joined the crusade movement.
More than two thousand pupils had been under her instruction and her friends numbered in many more thousands. One woman has the sole honor of standing by Miss Willard in entering the crusade, that one is Mrs. Mary A. Livermore.
From teaching aesthetics in university she became an apostle of temperance to the drunkards of Chicago. She often went without her noonday lunch because she had no money to pay for it, and she walked long and weary miles because she was unable to pay for car fare.
Upon the death of O.A. Willard, her brother, in the summer of 1878, she became the editor of the Chicago Evening Post, and also the president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in “the day of small things.” The work grew; the National and then the World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union were formed, Miss Willard becoming in turn president of each.
She was the originator of the motto, “For God, Home, and Native Land.” In the world-wide movement this became, “For God, Home, and Every Land.”
Her executive ability was as marvelous as her power over an audience was mighty, and all these years her pen was busy writing along the many lines of the work of the Union.
As an indication of how her character and her work were regarded in England we give the words of the Lady Henry Somerset.
“She was welcomed in this country as I suppose no philanthropist has been welcomed in our time. The vast meeting that was organized to greet her at Exeter Hall was the most representative that has ever been assembled in that historic building. On the platform sat members of Parliament, dignitaries of the Church, temperance leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, leaders of the Labor Movement, and of the Salvation Army, and delegations from the Methodist, Baptist, and Congregational churches, and the Society of Friends. The chief Jewish rabbi sent a congratulatory letter and signed the address of welcome.”
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
Daughter of Josiah Willard and Mary Thompson Hill. She was a graduate of the Northwestern Female College in Evanston, Illinois. She taught in various western towns and in 1871 became dean of the Women’s College of the Northwestern University. In 1874 she resigned this position, was elected secretary of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union. In 1879 she became its president, an office she held until her death. In her management of the association she displayed great executive ability and a remarkable genius for organization. She declared herself in favour of woman’s suffrage and lectured upon the subject deeming that the ballot would be a protection to women from the miseries caused by intemperate drinking. She travelled extensively, through Europe and her own country. She was the editor of the Union Signal, the official organ of the temperance movement, and she wrote a number of books, including Woman and Temperance and Glimpses of Fifty Years. In her work Miss Willard displayed untiring energy and great self-denial. A monument has been erected to her memory that stands in the halls of the capitol in Washington.
Of her Susan B. Anthony said, “She was the friend, guide and inspirer of thousands: … a great soul, ever following the light, and drawing others after it with a power as sure and steadfast as gravitation.”
IW note: Willard was also likely queer, living with her assistant Anna Adams Gordon for years.