caption death_date death_place birth_place other_names nationality name birth_date spouse residence image article_title birth_name death_cause
florence , first published in '' the home journal '' , sutro march 18 , 1896 in 1896 -lrb- photograph by aimé dupont april 27 , 1906 new york england mrs. theodore sutro united states florence sutro may 1 , 1865 theodore sutro 320 west 102nd street , new york city florence sutro.jpg florence sutro
 florence edith clinton pleurisy
florence sutro

florence sutro -lrb- may 1 , 1865 -- april 27 , 1906 -rrb- , sometimes known as mrs. theodore sutro , was a musician and painter , most known for creating the national federation of women 's music clubs and being its first president .
florence edith clinton was born in england .
her father was harry w. clinton -lrb- 1837 -- 1893 -rrb- , son of captain harry and mary elizabeth -lrb- villiers -rrb- clinton .
on her father 's side she was descended from george clinton the younger son of the 6th earl of lincoln , within the clinton family lineage .
her mother was frances clinton -lrb- born greenwood -rrb- -lrb- 1839 -- 1869 -rrb- .
after her mother 's death , her father immigrated with the family to brooklyn , new york .
she showed considerable musical talent as a child .
at the age of 13 she won first prize of $ 1,000 in a contest with 950 other children for her playing of franz liszt 's hungarian rhapsody no. 2 .
she attended the grand conservatory of new york where she was the first woman to graduate with the degree of doctor of music .
she married theodore sutro , a lawyer and financier , on october 1 , 1884 .
she thus became part of society in both social and intellectual circles , while devoting time to painting and music .
`` as a pianist she excels both in execution and sympathetic touch , while her canvases are welcome features at many of the exhibitions of the national academy of design . ''
encouraged by her husband , she took up the study of law attending women 's classes at the city college of new york .
upon graduating in 1891 , she was the class valedictorian and delivered the graduation address , `` why i study law , '' which labeled her `` a speaker of wonderful magnetism and clearness . ''
quoting from the address : `` law is beautiful ... this great sense of union and order which pervades all life '' makes the study of law `` one of the most broadest means possible for attaining to true culture . ''
although declining to enter the bar , sutro authored `` women in music and law '' in 1895 which included an extensive list of women composers and their compositions .
she devoted her energies to charitable organizations -lrb- such as being the vice-president of the new york kindergarten and potted-plant association -rrb- .
she was involved in the 1893 world 's columbian exposition festivities in chicago during which the infanta eulalia of spain visited the united states .
sutro traveled extensively through the united states , and `` was one of the few women to have visited the grand canyon '' -lrb- as stated in an 1893 biographical entry -rrb- .
theodore and florence sutro were active advocates for women 's sufferage .
`` the society women of new-york want to vote .
having reached this determination , they have set about accomplishing their desire in the energetic manner characteristic of them on all occasions .
without any particular display of flags or brass bands , they organized themselves for action , and the constitutional convention , when it meets may 8 at albany , will be confronted with the results in no uncertain manner . ''
she died of pleurisy and of `` complication of diseases '' at her home on 320 west 102nd street in new york city , and was buried at woodlawn cemetery .
