Christine Bradley South (December 20, 1878 - February 20, 1957) was president of the

Kentucky Equal Rights Association Kentucky Equal Rights Association (KERA) was the first permanent statewide women's rights organization in Kentucky. Founded in November 1888, the KERA voted in 1920 to transmute itself into thKentucky League of Women Votersto continue its many and ...

for three years (1916–1919). She was a Vice-President of KERA when her cousin (on her mother's side), Governor Edwin P. Morrow, signed into law Kentucky's ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment on January 6, 1920. She served as a delegate from Kentucky to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

in 1920, 1928 and 1932; and in 1937 she served on the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...

Background and early life

The second of two children of Margaret Duncan and Kentucky Governor

William O'Connell Bradley William O'Connell Bradley (March 18, 1847May 23, 1914) was a politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served as the 32nd Governor of Kentucky and was later elected by the state legislature as a U.S. senator from that state. The first Re ...

, Christine Duncan Bradley was born on December 20, 1878, and grew up in

Lancaster, Kentucky Lancaster is a home rule-class city in Garrard County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. As of the year 2010 U.S. census, the city population was 3,442. Located south of Lexington, Lancaster is the site of the Kenne ...

. Her brother, George Robertson Bradley (1868–1892), died when she was thirteen. She read law in her father's office and traveled with him on his campaigns, riding a mule to get through the mountains of eastern Kentucky

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...

. She married Dr.

John Glover South John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

(January 23, 1873 - May 13, 1940) of

Frankfort, Kentucky Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, and the seat of Franklin County. It is a home rule-class city; the population was 28,602 at the 2020 census. Located along the Kentucky River, Frankfort is the prin ...

, on November 2, 1904, and her father bought them a house in Frankfort.

Leadership in woman suffrage movement

After Elise Bennett Smith resigned as president of the

(KERA), South was elected in November 1916. She made sure in 1917 that the KERA leadership followed the request from

National American Woman Suffrage Association The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) was an organization formed on February 18, 1890, to advocate in favor of women's suffrage in the United States. It was created by the merger of two existing organizations, the National ...

president

Carrie Chapman Catt Carrie Chapman Catt (; January 9, 1859 Fowler, p. 3 – March 9, 1947) was an American women's suffrage leader who campaigned for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave U.S. women the right to vote in 1920. Catt ...

to denounce the more radical activities of the

National Woman's Party The National Woman's Party (NWP) was an American women's political organization formed in 1916 to fight for women's suffrage. After achieving this goal with the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the NW ...

. In 1919 she was elected First Vice President of KERA when

Madeline McDowell Breckinridge Madeline (Madge) McDowell Breckinridge (May 20, 1872 – November 25, 1920) was an American leader of the women's suffrage movement in Kentucky. She married Desha Breckinridge, editor of the ''Lexington Herald'', which advocated women's rights, ...

returned to the presidency. Morrow signs Anthony Amendment

She was the First Vice President when her cousin, Kentucky Governor Edwin P. Morrow signed into law the ratification by Kentucky of the Nineteenth Amendment. In keeping with the NAWSA's ideals of non-partisanship, she publicly commended the Democratic President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

for his role in advocating for the federal amendment: "... He goes now to perfect that which has been baptized with the fire of the battle and sealed with a covenant of blood – a world-wide democracy, a democracy in truth of all the people."

Political roles in Republican Party

After women were granted the right to stand for any electoral office, South ran in the summer of 1921 on the Republican ticket for a seat on the Frankfort City Council. She did not win, but her husband was appointed that year as the American Minister to Panama and they left the country. She traveled back to the U.S. often to take care of her widowed mother and to serve as an official delegate from Kentucky to the Republican National Convention. She attended the conventions in 1920, 1928 (that year she was given the honor of seconding the Hoover nomination) and 1932. In 1924 that she was “being seriously discussed” as a nominee for U.S. Senator from Kentucky. She stumped for President

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

in 1932, and in 1937 she served as a member of the Republican National Committee.

Later life and death

By 1940, when her husband died, South was working in public relations with the State Department of Health. She retired in 1951 and died at home in

on February 20, 1957. She is buried in the Frankfort Cemetery in the Bradley family lot.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:South, Christine Bradley 1878 births 1957 deaths Suffragists from Kentucky People from Lancaster, Kentucky People from Frankfort, Kentucky American feminists American women's rights activists Women in Kentucky politics American political activists National American Woman Suffrage Association activists