Mary Dudley Hussey
Mary Dudley Hussey | |
|---|---|
 Hussey in 1922 | |
| Born | July 31, 1853 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | October 26, 1927 (aged 74) East Orange, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Resting place | Milton, Saratoga County, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Columbia University New York University |
| Occupations |
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| Parent |
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Mary Dudley Hussey (July 31, 1853 - October 26, 1927) was an American lawyer, physician, and suffragist. Hussey worked towards women's rights both through legal efforts and through activism. She was based in New Jersey.
Biography[edit]
Mary Dudley Hussey was born in New York City on July 31, 1853.[1] She was a daughter of suffragist, Cornelia Collins Hussey and physician, Elizabeth Blackwell, was present at her birth.[2] As a child, she was exposed to work of abolitionists and attended the last meeting of the American Anti-Slavery Society.[3] Hussey's work as a suffragist began in 1868 when she attended a meeting held by Lucy Stone.[3]
In 1873, Hussey applied for admission to Columbia University, after being inspired by the action of Lillie Devereux Blake, who also publicly applied that year.[4] In 1877, she graduated with a physician's degree from the Woman's Medical College of New York.[2] Hussey practiced medicine for a short time, but felt that studying law would help her "advance the interests of women."[3] She earned her law degree in 1898 from New York University.[2] She also helped create the New Jersey Legal Aid Society which helped support the legal needs of women living in poverty.[3][5] In 1899, she helped Mary Philbrook found the Women Lawyers' Club because the Bar Association would not allow women.[6] Hussey was a member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.[3]
In 1890, Hussey helped reorganize the New Jersey Woman Suffrage Association (NJWSA).[3] She served as secretary to the organization for several years.[3] She also organized the Political Study Club of Orange.[7] Hussey took part in an April 1910 march on Washington, D.C. where she presented a women's suffrage petition to New Jersey representative, William H. Wiley.[8] After women gained the right to vote, she championed the League of Women Voters (LWV).[3]
Hussey rode her bicycle in East Orange and in many other cities where she visited.[9][10] She distributed both suffrage fliers and iris bulbs.[9] The bulbs were given out with the stipulation that any money made from selling the flowers should be used to support women's suffrage.[9] Hussey was an avid gardener and initiated the first school garden in New Jersey.[3] Hussey also sold her plants to help fund different causes that were important to her.[3] She wore plain clothing and was described as having a "picturesque appearance."[10] Hussey eventually retired from biking after 25 years in 1924.[11]
Hussey became ill in 1925 and died in her home in East Orange on October 26, 1927.[12][2] She was buried in Milton, New York.[13]
References[edit]
- ^ Emery, William Morrell (1919). The Howland Heirs: Being the Story of a Family and a Fortune and the Inheritance of a Trust Established for Mrs. Hetty H. R. Green. New Bedford, Massachusetts: E. Anthony and Sons, Incorporated. pp. 175–176. ISBN 978-0-598-66448-8.
- ^ a b c d Schneider, Jennifer. "Biographical Sketch of Mary Dudley Hussey". Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920 – via Alexander Street.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Pierson, David Lawrence (1922). History of the Oranges to 1921: Reviewing the Rise, Development and Progress of an Influential Community. Vol. 4. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. pp. 198–201.
- ^ "Miss Rachel W. Underhill, Miss". The Boston Globe. 1873-10-14. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-07-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Legal Aid for Poor Women". The Sandusky Star-Journal. 1898-12-02. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-07-13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "NJ Suffragists – Mary Philbrook (1872-1958)". Discover NJ 350. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
- ^ Perrone, Fernanda H. (2021). On Account of Sex: The Struggle for Women's Suffrage in Middlesex County (PDF). New Brunswick, New Jersey: Arts Institute of Middlesex County. p. 21.
- ^ "March on the Capitol". Boston Evening Transcript. 1910-04-18. p. 10. Retrieved 2021-07-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Dr. Mary Hussey Dies". Times Union. 1927-10-27. p. 22. Retrieved 2021-07-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Some Ride in Autos -- One Bicyclist". The Baltimore Sun. 1906-02-11. p. 7. Retrieved 2021-07-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Abandons Long-Used 'Bike'". The Evening Sun. 1924-10-25. p. 4. Retrieved 2021-07-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Suffrage Dean Dies". Daily News. 1927-10-27. p. 46. Retrieved 2021-07-09 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Dr. Mary Hussey's Funeral Today". Daily News. 1927-10-28. p. 236. Retrieved 2021-07-09 – via Newspapers.com.