The Washington times., 1920-05-07
DEFENDS WOMAN'S
RIGHT TO0WNNAME
First Female Minister in U. s
Declares Marriage Should
Not Cause a Change.

/
Olympia Brown. who established the
precedent for the ordination OF
women 10 the ministry In America. In
1883. declared yesterday that she be-
lieved every woman had the right TO
retain her maiden name after mar
riage. This was apropos OF the TO
Gently announced marriage OF Fannie
Hurst, authoress. tt-
picturesque and impressive figures
among clubwomen In Baltimore. has
used the name OF her late husband,
Willis. only in social relationships,
she said. She has two children, DIR.
lGwendolyn Brown Willis, teacher OF
Latin and Greek at Bryn Mawr School.
Baltimore, and Henry Parker Wills,
professor OF economy at Columbia
University and expert adviser TO the
Federal Reserve Board.
TsiL Of Early DifA~sIties.
Mrs. Brown discussed the question
OF the maiden name for married
women when telling what she be-
iioves to be the possibilities In the
power of self-determination that will
como to women through the ballot.
This gentlewoman, who Is seen at
many progressive meetings In Balti-
more wearing her old-fashioned
clothes and her bonnet held with
violet satin ribbon. told OF the dim
cuities women OF her day faced. her
entrance into the ministry. which has
been followed by about 400 women,
and her participation In the first suf-
/ fraEe campaign in this country.
~ believe every woman has the
| right TO her own name. and whenever
IL has been submitted to legal test In
this country the court has gtven this
decision. I recall particularly q case
In the Middle West. and, Of course,
the case OF Alice Stone.
II "AIl this is part. OF course. OF self
L deter rminstion for women. Did my
husband object? Indeed he did not.
He wanted me to do AZ i wished In
H all matters Of this sort"
Cites Prsgress since Is4s.
Mrs. Brown then rec Iiled the prog
gress made in obtaining rights for
course, that women could not hold
property; that their husbands could
collect their earnings: that they could
not attend the public. schools, and
the advisAbility of allowing women
to learn to read was seriously dis
cussed. II was feared II would take
them from their homes. And I re-
call another ridiculous regulation by
which a woman could receive no COM
pensation IL she was injured. but her
husband could get compensation for
the time she was incapacitated and
unable to serve him."
II Mrs. Browns "Reminiscences took
her back also to the first suffrage
campaign in this country to her
knowledge. when she stumped Bleed
ing Kansas" for woman suffrage in
the summer OF 1856. She tells in q
light. humorous vein how she trav-
eled from town to town, rising fire.
quently at 4 o'clock to keep going
until 8 o'clock at night, travelling
across open prairie land and how one
Of the long journeys ended with the
Il party being mobbed in Mount City
in the southern part Of the bloody
4 State.
4 Unlversalist Minister.
Mrs. Brown. who is a Universalist.
had her first charge at Weymouth,
| Mrss., toward the close OF the Civil
Mass, toward the close of the Civil
ministry at Bridgeport, Conn. and
several others in the Middle West
Her first child, Parker Willis, was
born while she had charge of her
parish there. But" she said yester-
/ day. II dressed and bathed him my
| self and ] always put him to bed at
| night and rubbed his little body.
| left him with a nurse much of the
| day, as many women did at that time
| And / do not believe / was less sue
cossful in the upbringing of my chill
dren because I felt that 1 must enter
4 the ministry"