Eva Perry Moore (July 24, 1852 – April 28, 1931) was an American clubwoman based in St. Louis, president of the

General Federation of Women's Clubs The General Federation of Women's Clubs (GFWC), founded in 1890 during the Progressive Movement, is a federation of over 3,000 women's clubs in the United States which promote civic improvements through volunteer service. Many of its activities ...

and the National Council of Women.Karen J. Blair
"Eva Perry Moore"
in ''American National Biography Online'' (Oxford University Press 2000).

Early life

Mary Eva Perry was born in Rockford, Illinois, the daughter of Seely Perry and Elizabeth Benedict Perry. Her father had been a schoolmaster, and in 1858 was elected mayor of Rockford. Eva Perry graduated from

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States, closely foll ...

in 1873.

Career

Eva Perry Moore was a longtime officer of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, from 1894 to 1912; she was president of the national organization from 1908 to 1912. Before that, she was president of the Missouri Federation of Women's Clubs (1902-1908). Moore became president of the National Council of Women in 1914, and held that office until 1925; she was also vice-president of the

International Council of Women The International Council of Women (ICW) is a women's rights organization working across national boundaries for the common cause of advocating human rights for women. In March and April 1888, women leaders came together in Washington, D.C., wit ...

from 1920 to 1930. Moore, herself active on behalf of women's suffrage and other progressive reforms, saw the strategic advantage of a national organization of women perceived to be apolitical. "We have no platform unless it is the care of women and children, and the home, the latter meaning the four walls of the city as well as the four walls of brick and mortar," she stated in 1910. Moore was an alumnae trustee at Vassar College, president of the Nurses' Association of St. Louis, president of the

Association of Collegiate Alumnae The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. The organization has a nationwide network of 170,000 ...

, president of the Wednesday Club of St. Louis, director of the St. Louis Provident Association, vice-president of the National Conservation Congress, vice-president of the St. Louis School of Philanthropy, founder of the Musical Club of St. Louis, and a member of the Superior Jury of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904). Moore spoke at the

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 ...

convention when it was held in Baltimore in 1906. In 1909, she traveled with

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

to the Panama Canal Zone Federation of Women's Clubs meeting. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, she served on the Women's Committee of the

Council of National Defense The Council of National Defense was a United States organization formed during World War I to coordinate resources and industry in support of the war effort, including the coordination of transportation, industrial and farm production, financial s ...

. In 1918, she was appointed to the executive committee of the League to Enforce Peace, along with

Anna Howard Shaw Anna Howard Shaw (February 14, 1847 – July 2, 1919) was a leader of the women's suffrage movement in the United States. She was also a physician and one of the first ordained female Methodist ministers in the United States. Early life Shaw ...

M. Carey Thomas Martha Carey Thomas (January 2, 1857 – December 2, 1935) was an American educator, suffragist, and linguist. She was the second president of Bryn Mawr College, a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Biography Early life ...

, and

Frances Folsom Cleveland Preston Frances Clara Cleveland Preston (née Folsom born as Frank Clara; July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947) was an American socialite, education activist, and the first lady of the United States from 1886 to 1889, and again from 1893 to 1897 as t ...

."Women in Campaign for Permanent Peace"
''New York Times'' (January 21, 1918).

Personal life

Eva Perry married mining engineer Philip North Moore in 1879. They had two children, Elizabeth (b. 1881) and Perry (b. 1886). She was widowed in 1930, and died in 1931, aged 78 years.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Eva Perry 1852 births 1931 deaths People from Rockford, Illinois American suffragists American women in World War I Clubwomen Vassar College alumni 20th-century American people