Evening star., 1946-03-18
Miss Mabel Boordmon, Leader
of Red Cross for 46 Years, Dies
Fomous Humanitarian
Won Acclaim for Work
In Two World Wars

Miss Mabel Thorp Boardman
who for nearly half a century helped
mold and guide the destinies of the
American Red Cross as the worlds
greatest humanitarian organization
is dead at the age of IS.
For many years as much a SYM
Dol of charity as the emblem OF the
Organization she nurtured, Miss
Boardman died at $3.50 pm. yes
terday in her home at 1901 P street
NV. At the bedside was Mrs
Florence Keep, sister.
Until recently Miss Boardman
had carried lightly the years she
whimsically sought to conceal
through policy of never giving her
age. Though she retired as ma
tional secretary of the Red Cross
in December, 1914, she remained
vitally interested in the work as
honorary secretary.
Attended Services Tuesday.
Only last Tuesday she made her
final appearance in connection with
the Red Cross by attending memo
rial services for Jane Delano, found
Ter of the Red Cross nursing serv-
ices. In the garden of the national
headquarters on Seventeenth street
between d and E streets N.W.-the
shining marble buildings she was
most responsible for erecting-Miss
Boardman watched AL Schmid, blind
Marine hero of Guadalcanal, place
a wreath at Miss Delano's statue.
Friday she suffered a heart at
tack at her home and last night a
second attack led to her death of
coronary thrombosis.
Arrangement of funeral services
awaited the arrival today of Mrs.
Murray Crane Of Dalton, Mass,
widow Of Senator Crane and Miss
Boardman's sister, the only other
survivor.
Succeeds Clara Barton
Independently wealthy, Miss
Boardman turned her boundless
energy to acts of charity at an early
age, and became gallant success
sor to Clara Barton as a force for
good.
This she first exemplified shortly
before the turn of the century
when she became interested In the
Children's Day Nursery at Cleve-
land, where she was born October
IL. 1860, and in Washington's Child
ren's Hospital.
She had just returned from Ger
many with an uncle, w. w. Phelps.
who was United States Minister
there. Adorned in satin with i'm
posing trains, Miss Boardman had
been showeed with the attentions
OF military men.
The connection with Red Cross
which was to bloom into one in
extricably linked with its progress
came about bit Unexpectedly in
1900. Then it was that her name
was presented as member of the
Board of Incorporators without her
knowledge.
Helped Weld Organization.
From that day on the Red Cross
had a fighting champion. Friend of
Presidents, defender of the op-
pressed, Miss Boardman symbolized
the rise Of the Red Cross from a
loosely woven organization to one
which during the last war alleviated
suffering with more than $500, 900 900
raised in this country alone.
AS her tall, impressive figure
moved with Victorian dignity
through her IS years of Red Cross
work the honors bestowed on her
were many, such as decorations by
the Kings of Sweden and Italy, the
Emperor of Japan and the govern
ments of France, Portugal, Serbia
and Chile.
Even when her hair turned gray
and then white, Miss Boardman
wore curls piled on her head POM
padour fashion and usually under
the kind of hat that makes for
talk. In repose her face resembled
so much that of Queen Mary of
England that the former Prince of
Wales, on meeting her here in 1919,
was startled by the likeness.
1t was this woman, who some
times wore diamonds and pearls to
her office in such unpretentiousI
manner they seemed part of her
who largely was responsible for Red
Cross as national institution.
Secured National Charter.
In 1903 she aroused the interest of
powerful figures. With the aid of
John w. Foster, former Secretary
of State, and william Howard Taft,
then Secretary of War, she worked
out charter which Congress enact
ed in 1904. A year later she was
elected to the Central Committee of
the Red Cross.
It also was Miss Boardman whol
threw her vigor and resources into|
the campaign for a national head
quarters building in 1918. Through