#doris stevens

[its--showtime]

Them <3

@bikinibottomdayz's master

[abearinspring]

[emersonschaos]

“Lady, thy bitchhood hath only begun.”

- Great American Bitch, Suffs

[argyropoeiaa]

you ever think about . how doris is like. harmonizing with them in the report. how she moves in a similar way the other girls do. shes only on screen for a brief moment but shes literally feeling their pain Hhhhggggggghhhh

[lilyyyyyyysstuff]

cute suffs ladies

[oberlincollegearchives]

Oberlin College Archives and Women’s Suffrage

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, the Oberlin College Libraries have created programming, digital exhibitions, social media campaigns, and publicity dedicated to Oberlin’s women throughout the years. Oberlin’s Women: A Legacy of Leadership & Activism uses materials from the Oberlin College Libraries, Archives, and Special Collections to tell their stories through a variety of exhibits.

Title photos: Suffrage Parade at Carnegie Library with individuals holding “Votes for Women” banner, 1915 Woman’s Suffrage Convention badge, May 22nd, 1916

Included in the exhibits are stories related to Oberlin women and their experience with women’s suffrage. In the course of the research for these exhibits, the College Archives staff located many fascinating materials relating to Oberlin College and suffrage.

Doris Stevens (OC 1911) was heavily involved in Suffrage activities after graduating from Oberlin College. She was a member of the National American Women Suffrage Association as an organizer for the Congressional Union for Women Suffrage. Stevens was also active in the Silent Sentinels, organized under the National Woman’s Party. This group would picket outside of the White House for women’s voting rights. The Oberlin Tribune newspaper documented her arrest for protesting outside of the White House on July 20, 1917 in the article pictured above. After the passage of the 19th Amendment, Stevens authored Jailed for Freedom (1920), which documented the Silent Sentinels’ picketing and arrests.

Doris Stevens pictured at her 25th Oberlin College reunion, 1936

Stevens did not stop fighting for women’s rights after the passage of the 19th Amendment. She went on to be the first female member of the American Institute of International Law, and her work resulted in the 1933 Convention on the Nationality of Women, which safeguarded women’s citizenship after marriage, and made sure that divorced women and their children could keep their nationalities. Stevens became the vice president of the Lucy Stone League in 1951, an organization first started for women to keep their last names after marriage, and then expanded for fighting against the discrimination of women.

Equal Suffrage League banner, Hi-O-Hi Yearbook, 1911

Suffrage activities were accepted and active at Oberlin College in the 1900s-1910s, including the Equal Suffrage League, which existed at many colleges and universities throughout the country.

While the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WTCU) at Oberlin College was founded to spread temperance ideals around Oberlin, the United States, and internationally, they also were accepting of women’s suffrage and presented multiple talks and debates on the subject. In the WCTU program from 1908-09 pictured above, Mary E. Church (Mary Church Terrell) gave a talk on suffrage on August 11.

Oberlin’s long history of activism is well documented here in the College Archives. Please contact us for more information on women’s suffrage and Oberlin College!

[oberlincollegelibraries]

#WCW: Doris Stevens

Above photo:  Infographic depicting the information about Doris Stevens written in this post. 

Doris Stevens, OC Class of 1911

Doris Stevens was born Dora Caroline Stevens in Omaha, Nebraska. She was an American suffragist and women’s legal rights advocate. 

Born October 26, 1888; Died March 22, 1963

A.B., Oberlin College, 1911

Held several leadership positions in the National Women’s Party, including legislative chairman, vice chairman of the NY branch, and as a member of the executive committee

Spearheaded the creation of the Inter-American Commission of Women, an organization within the Organization of American States

Served as vice-president of the Lucy Stone League from 1951-1963

Stevens was portrayed by Laura Fraser in the 2004 film Iron Jawed Angels

MAJOR MILESTONES

1917- Began picketing campaign outside the White House with the Silent Sentinels

1920- Published Jailed for Freedom, her firsthand account of her involvement with the National Women’s Party

1931- Became the first female member of the American Institute of International Law

[woodsonresearchcenter]

Elizabeth Kalb's "Jailed for Freedom"

In 1920, Elizabeth Kalb '16 donated Doris Stevens' book Jailed for Freedom to the library with an interesting inscription.

Below is a Thresher article from November 25, 1920 with a bit more context on the book and Elizabeth Kalb.

Doris Stevens' features Kalb more than once in Jailed for Freedom. She was one of a group arrested during a suffragette protest in front of the White House. Stevens explains the ordeal and even features an image of Kalb.

The book provides images of various suffragettes along with short biographies. Below is Kalb's. For those interested in reading further, you can read the complete book online.

In case you want to see Elizabeth Kalb not covered in a bed sheet, here she is at work, photographed on December 1, 1920.

Image via the Library of Congress