Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-08
WOMEN To DROP
MRS. TITLE, SAYS
SUFFRAGE HEAD
why Label Brides7' She Asks
'Custom Foolish and Unfair to
Women Of Fame

NEW YORK, March Talking q
husbands name is a custom that will
probably be ontgrown some day, be-
cause we have outgrown the condi-
tons that created this custom. 1t nc
longer has its basis in necessity
There Is no more reason for labelling
married woman than there Is for
labelling a married man-it is just
custom"
In these words OF Endorsement OF
the widespread campaign on the part
of married women TO retain their
maiden names, DR.. Marie Jenney
Howe voiced the sentiment Of Fola
LaFollette. expressed last week at the
great Feminist meeting at Cooper
Union.
Mrs. Howe is the wife of DR.. Fred
eric c. Howe. director OF the Peoples
\ institute. Previous to her marriage
Mrs. Howe occupied a Unitarian pull
pit She was recently elected leader
of the Twenty fifth Assembly District
Gives Own Experience.
At her apartment in West Twelfth
street Mrs. Howe told of the difficulty
she had met with in trying to keep
'at least a part of her own name after
marriage"
"Six years before ! married Dr.
Howe / had been a Unitarian minis
ter. Naturally, | had a large circle OF
friends. had become Identified with
q certain work, and ! disliked the
idea of giving up my whole name.
Shortly after my marriage ] was
elected president OF the Ohio State
Consumers League. The women or
the league objected so strongly to my
using my own name, even with the
addition Of the name of Howe, that
submitted to their wishes and had
Mrs Frederic c, Howe printed on the
league stationery.
I'm voicing their protest TO the use
OF my name. the women said. But
your name does not represent any
thing here In Cleveland where you are
q newcomer. DR. Howe has lived here
fifteen years, they said. and he Is
we'll known ] said. We'll, after
have lived here fifteen years ! VIII
represent something, too
Custom in New York.
"When | came to New York
had given mp trying to keep my own
name. and ! was greatly surprised
just after being elected to office in
the Woman Suffrage party. to be
appealed to hv the ruffragists to use
my own name. So the question of the
use Of Names Is largely custom OF
locality Nearly all the suffragists in
New York know write their own
names In full adding the last name of
their husbands.
This tendency to independence on
the part Of woman in the use of her
OWL name" continued Mrs. Howe. lis
seen in all walks OF life--in the pro-
fessions, in business, and even In the
women who merely have large cir
Gle OF frisnSs and acquaintance.
No matter how obscure a woman's
life may be, still she has her own
friends, who know her by the name
she has had since childhood. Her
identity is just as precious to her as
ii is TO the professional woman.
"The custom of a married woman
retaining her own name is well estab-
lished in the life OF the stage" said
Mrs. Howe "A star never gives up
her own name when she marries. The
reason is obvious. The public has
grown familiar with this name and II
would injure her professionally II she
changed It. The same is true OF
women physicians, lawyers, dentists.
artists ana writers who have climbed
10 success on their own names.
1.-THE more women are developed
the more they feel the sense OF per-
sonal identity, and the more reluctant
they are TO give up this identity"