Dr. Eliza Ritchie (20 May 1856 – 5 September 1933) was a prominent

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

, Canada.

Biography

Ritchie was born on 20 May 1856 in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...

. She was the daughter of

John William Ritchie John William Ritchie (26 March 1808 – 13 or 18 December 1890) was a Canadians, Canadian lawyer and politician from Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia who is one of the Father of Confederation#Fathers of Confederation, Fat ...

and Amelia Almon. She attended

Dalhousie University Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the fou ...

and went on to earn her doctorate in German philosophy from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

in 1889, becoming one of the first Canadian women to receive a PhD. She traveled to

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

, Germany, and

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, England to further her studies. She taught at a variety of universities in the United States before returning to Canada in 1899. Beginning in 1901 she lectured philosophy at Dalhousie University. She joined her sisters, Ella Almon and Mary Walcot, in social activism in Halifax. She was on the executive of the

Local Council of Women of Halifax The Local Council of Women of Halifax (LCWH) is an organization in Halifax, Nova Scotia devoted to improving the lives of women and children. One of the most significant achievements of the LCWH was its 24-year struggle for women's right to vote ...

, and the Board of the Victoria School of Art. Ritchie worked with Agnes Dennis and

Edith Archibald Edith Jessie Archibald (7 April 1854 – 11 May 1936) was a Canadian suffragist and writer who led the Maritime Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), National Council of Women of Canada and the Local Council of Women of Halifax. For her many ...

to further the cause of

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...

. Ritchie wrote ''The Problem of Personality'' in 1889 and ''Songs of the Maritimes'' in 1931. Ritchie was president of the Dalhousie Alumnae Association. In 1919 was appointed to the Dalhousie Board of Governors, the first woman to serve. In 1927, she received an honorary degree from Dalhousie, the first woman to have that honor. Ritchie never married. She died on 5 September 1933 in Halifax.

Legacy

Ritchie was the namesake of Dalhousie University residence Eliza Ritchie Hall which was demolished in 2015. She also has a stained glass window in

St. Paul's Church (Halifax) St. Paul's Church is an evangelical Anglican church in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, within the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island of the Anglican Church of Canada. It is located at the south end of the Grand Parade, an open sq ...

dedicated to her and her sisters.

References

* Judith Fingard. "The Ritchie Sisters and Social Improvement in Early 20th Century Halifax." ''Journal of the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society'', Vol. 13, 2010. 1-22 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ritchie, Eliza 1856 births 1933 deaths Dalhousie University alumni Cornell University alumni Vassar College faculty Wellesley College faculty Canadian activists Canadian suffragists Canadian women activists