Michigan Woman's Press Association (MWPA) was an American professional association for women writers and journalists in Michigan. [1] Founded in 1890, it was active until shortly before World War I, though there was an unsuccessful attempt to revive activity in the late 1930s. [2]
After 30 years of continued service in active journalism, M. E. C. Bates, of the Grand Traverse Herald, became convinced that many benefits would accrue to the women workers of the state press by being organized as a state association. Cooperation was assured her by several of the less experienced, but equally enthusiastic staff members of other papers, and, after correspondence and agitation incident to such a project, pledges were secured to warrant a venture. As the work progressed, the promoters were surprised to find, all over the state, earnest, capable women, editing departments, doing reporting work, compiling news or helping their husbands in all-around newspaper work. Several, even, were found who owned and edited their papers, having come into possession of the business by inheritance or force of circumstances, and when the list was made up and the meeting for organization perfected at Traverse City, Michigan, July 22, 1890, twenty-seven names were enrolled as charter members. [1]
So soon as it was definitely announced that the first meeting would be held at Traverse City, Thomas T. Bates, of the Grand Traverse Herald, and E. L. Sprague of the Traverse Bay Eagle, two of the most veteran newspaper men in the state, and both of whom had been prominently identified with the state press for nearly thirty years, came forward and tendered the women free printing of programmes, free notices, free circulars, anything and everything that came within the jurisdiction of printers' ink. Their generosity was infectious and was quickly supplemented with an offer from the Hon. Perry Hannah to entertain the visiting press women at his own board, the Park Place Hotel. Then the Ladies Library Association freely opened their parlors for the meetings, and thus, the first and most difficult arrangements were quickly handled. The first president of the association was Mrs. Frank Howard, member of the editorial staff of the Detroit Tribune . [1]
The other officers of the association elected the first year were: Vice-President, M. E. C. Bates, Grand Traverse Herald; recording secretary, Claudia Quigley Murphy, Grand Rapids Democrat; corresponding secretary, S. Isadore Miner, Good Health; treasurer, Belle M. Perry, Charlotte Tribune; executive committee, Sarah J. LaTour, American Tyler; Hattie C. Sleeper, Port Huron Times ; and Eva C. Doughty, Gladwin Leader. [1]
In 1894, Lucinda Hinsdale Stone was the honorary president of the Michigan Woman's Press Association. [3]
The officers in 1913 were: Honorary President, Ella Eaton Kellogg; President, Pruella Janet Sherman; Vice-presidents, Jennie Buell and Mrs. J. E. St. John; recording secretary, Ola M. Johnson; corresponding secretary, Julia Ball; treasurer, Emma E. Bower; historian, Lucy A. Leggett; directors, Carrie E. Bassett, Bella M. Perry, Florence M. Brooks, Kate E. Ward. [4]
The Order of the Eastern Star is a Masonic appendant body open to both men and women. It was established in 1850 by lawyer and educator Rob Morris, a noted Freemason, and adopted and approved as an appendant body of the Masonic Fraternity in 1873. The order is based on some teachings from the Bible, and is open to people of all religious beliefs. It has approximately 10,000 chapters in 18 countries and approximately 500,000 members under its General Grand Chapter.
Traverse City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was 15,678 at the 2020 census, with 153,448 in the four-county Traverse City micropolitan area. Traverse City is also the second-largest city in Michigan north of the Tri-Cities, behind Marquette.
James Andrus Blinn Stone (1810–1888) was a minister, professor, and school administrator. He was the first president of the Kalamazoo College. His wife, Lucinda Hinsdale Stone, was a partner and administrator at the school. He helped establish the Republican Party.
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The Woman's Temperance Publishing Association (WTPA) was a non-commercial publisher of temperance literature. Established in 1879 in Indianapolis, Indiana during the national convention of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), it was a concept of Matilda Carse, an Irish-born American businesswoman, social reformer and leader of the temperance movement.
Lucy Thurman was a national temperance lecturer from Jackson, Michigan.
Caroline Brown Buell was an American activist who lectured and wrote on behalf of temperance and suffrage. She served as the assistant recording secretary (1878–80), corresponding secretary (1880–93), and a member of the Our Union publication committee (1876–83) of the National Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU); as well as the president (1904) and corresponding secretary (1875–86) of the Connecticut WCTU. She also originated the plan of the Loyal Temperance Legion, the children's society of the WCTU. Buell wrote extensively for temperance publications, and other papers and magazines. She made her home in East Hampton, Connecticut.
Lucinda Hinsdale Stone was an early American feminist, educator, traveler, writer, and philanthropist. Stone was the first woman in the United States to take classes of young women abroad to study, that means to illustrate history and literature.
Emma E. Bower was an American physician, and a newspaper owner, publisher, and editor. She was also an active clubwoman. Bower practiced medicine in Detroit, Michigan before returning to Ann Arbor, Michigan where, from 1896 to 1904, she owned, published, and edited a county paper, the Ann Arbor Democrat. For nine years, she was a member of the Ann Arbor board of education, during such time holding the office of president and treasurer. She served as treasurer of the Michigan Woman's Press Association, secretary-treasurer of the Michigan State Fraternal Congress, and held the office of president of the National Fraternal Press Association. She was the Great Record Keeper of the Ladies of the Maccabees.
M. E. C. Bates was the pen name of Martha Elizabeth Cram Bates, an American writer, journalist, and newspaper editor. She was widely known throughout the Grand Traverse region, and throughout the State of Michigan as well, having been closely identified with literary work since childhood. She was, perhaps, the first woman in the state who engaged in regular newspaper work, having been connected with the Grand Traverse Herald, of which her husband, Thomas Tomlinson Bates, was editor, since 1876.
Pauline Periwinkle was the pen name of S. Isadore Callaway an American journalist, poet, teacher, and feminist of the long nineteenth century. She served as the first corresponding secretary of the Michigan Woman's Press Association and was a staff member of Good Health, Battle Creek, Michigan. Using the pen name of "Pauline Periwinkle", Miner was the founder and editor of the "Woman's Century" page of The Dallas Morning News. She was "one of the most widely-read columnists in the early twentieth century."
The Ladies' Library Association of Kalamazoo (LLA) is a woman's club in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Officially incorporated in 1852 it was the first women's club organized in Michigan and the third organized in the United States. Its purpose was to promote the cause of equal education for women.
Eva C. Doughty was an American journalist, newspaper editor, and suffragist. She was the co-founder of the Michigan Woman's Press Association and the Mt. Pleasant Library, Literary and Musical Association. She served as president of the Grand Rapids Equal Suffrage Association.
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Clara Nettie Bates was an American editor, writer, and clubwoman. She was associated with the Audubon movement in Michigan and Florida, and with the International Sunshine Society (ISS). She favored suffrage. Bates died in 1966.
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Mary K. Buck was a Bohemian-born American author. She was an officer of the Michigan Woman's Press Association.
Claudia Quigley Murphy (1863–1941) was an American journalist and advertising veteran, remembered as one of the first woman newspaper reporters in the U.S. She pivoted her career to become a home economic consultant and advisory counsel to the women's national economic committee.