The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-09
WOMEN LEADERS
GATHERING HERE.
Come From Many Sections to
Attend Fourth Biennial Con-
vention OF the Y. w. c. \.
MISS DODGE DINNER HOST
President Wilson'S Daughter E.x-
pccted to Arrive From Wash
ington To-Day.

Women who are leaders in the ef-
fort to improve conditions under which
their sex lives and works, women who
are experts in social settlement work
III education and in all phllanthropics
and charities are gathering in Rich
mond for the Fourth Biennial Conven-
ton of the hounS Womcn's Christian
Association, which will omen Mt ST
Paul's Episcopal Church at 2:30 o'clock
this afternoon Most of the mem hers
OF the national board. including Miss
Grace II. Dodge. the president. reached
the city yesterday, and are making
their headquarters at the jefferson Ho-
tel. Miss Jessie Woodrow Wilson. the
Presidents daughter, is a member OF
the national board and is expected to
reach the city to day
Miss Jennie Fields Career.
y unique personality among the Of
fcers of the national association is
Miss Jessie Field, national secretary for
small town and country work who ar
rived here yesterday. Miss Field be-
gan her study OF rural conditions by
feeding chickens and taking care OF
eight small sisters and brothers on a
farm in Page County. Iowa. Later she
went to college. and then returned to
the rural districts Is a school tea cher.
She displayed such unusual ability in
this profession that she was in time
made superintendent of schools in Page
County. being one of the few women to
hold such positions. At that time also
she began writing books. and produced
The Corn Lady" work known for
it's vivid portrayal of rural conditions.
Her expert knowledge and wide repu-
tation QuaIified her for the position of
n national secretary of the association,
which she recently accepted. Her hob
by is the Improvement of the condi-
tions Of the women who live OH the
farm. and she believes that, in the long
run. the rural woman will he superior
TO the city type. because she has Gods
country to grow UP in
a Business Woman.
A woman leader of another type is
Miss Ella Schoolcy, who has charge OF
the Young Women's Christian Asso-
citation work at the Panama Pacific
exposition at San Francisco, and who
is not a literary or professional wo-
man. hut one who gave up thriving
mercantile business in ST. Louis to go
into associat tion work. The officers OF
the Panama Pacific exposition have
asked the Young Women's Cnristian
Association to care for all the women
who will flock To the exposition from
all over the world a special build
ing for the purpose. and the only one
entirely devoted to women, Will be
erected on the exposition grounds
In addition, the association will dis
tribute. through its branches every
where, literature giving Information
about the exposition. Miss Schooley
has been chosen. because OF her busi
ness talent TO engineer the whole en-
terprisc.
Another of the Pageant.
Another member OF the national
BOARD, and perhaps the most distin-
guishcd by original ability of them all
is Miss Helen Thoburn, editor OF all
the publications OF the association ana
author OF the pageant. which Will be
presented at Joseph Bryan Park next
Saturday afternoon. Miss Thoburn is
Californian, and was educated at
Leland stanford University, where her
father is a professor. She was at one
t!me secretary to the famous president
OF the university. David Starr Jordan
Miss ThoDurn Possesses unusual lit
erary ability. and at the time ahe went
into the work OF the association, She
had n high standing AS a magazine
writer. and refused position on the
(Cont;nued on Ninth Page,)