New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-20
Belva A. Lockwood
Dead at 60; Pioneer
Women Suffragist
ONLY One of Her Sex Ever 10
Be a Candidate for
President

Washington. May lo.-Mrs. Bclva a
r. Lockwood, the only woman who ever
was A candidate for President of the
United States, a pioneer in the tight
for woman suffrage and the first WON
an admitted TO practise before the
United States Supreme Court, died
here to-day, following long illness.
Mrs. Lockwood was eighty-six years
old. As she herself said, she had lived
long enough to see the time when votes
for women was no longer an issue, but
an accomplished fact.
Mrs. Lockwood was born in Royalton
y. Y. on October 4. 1880. Her maiden
name was Belva Ann Bennett. She ac-
ouired her early education by teacn-
inc in the summer 10 earn the money
for her winter studies. At the age OIL
eighteen she was married 10 Urlah II
McNan. a farmer at Royalton. VINO
died FIVE wears later, leaving her with
one child.
Took ID Equal Rights Cause
II was while teaching school at -
week that an incident occurred "hicn
caused the young widow TO become one
of the first women IN the country 10
take up the fight for equal rights.
Men teachers were getting twice as
much as she, or more.
81 kicked to the school trustees,
she said. ~ went TO the wife OF the
Methodist minister. The answer | re-
and TplSeG NY
dopdor She said: Il can't help you;
Won cannot help yourself, for It IS the
S'sv Of the world Then said !. let
us change the way OF the Worlui
will do what ! can, and you 40 VIVA
you can, and we VIII ehllsJ o'"S tn
have not rested since that day. ne
6cbt has been hard and furious, oul
We have fruits TO show for the scars OF
battle" a.,,d;os
Mrs. Lockwood resumed her studies,
=. tho Genesee Wesleyan Seminary ana
Genesee College. at Lima. y. y from
which she was graduated IN 1901. She
became preceptress Of the Lockpor'
Union School and later head OF the
Gainesville Seminary, al Oswego. Dur
inc the Civil War she served as presl-
dent of the Ladies' Aid Society at Lock
mort and at the close of the war went
70 Washington. where for four years
she had charge Of the Union League
Hall In 1865 she became the wife oil
the Rev. DR.. Ezekiel Lockwood, Bap,
list clergyman of that city, who dled
nine years afterward.
Studied at Oxford
In the second year of her marriage
she went to England and pursued a
university extension course at OXFORD.
On her return she entered the National
University Law School at Washington
from which she was graduated IN 1873.
She drew up a law permitting women 10
practice in the Supreme Court. and, al
the age of forty-nlne, was the frst
woman TO avail herself of this priv
ilege.
In 1884 and again in 1883 she was
nominated for the Presidency OF the
United States by the Equal Rights
party. and spent several years on the
lecture platform, speaking for suffrage,
temperance and peace. In 1896 she was
sent by the State Department as a dele
gate of the United States to the Inter
national Congress of Charities and
Corrections at Geneva, Switzerland, and
in 1889 was a delegate TO the lnterna-
tional Peace Congress in Paris. In
1892 she was made member of the
Commission of the international Peace
Bureau at Berne.
As lawyer she won many notable
battles in the courts and secured the
passage of a number of laws. She was
:he author of many books on women's
rights and a member of the principal
women's suffrage and civic organiza-
tions.