Mamie Claflin ( Perkins; March 8, 1867 – December 1, 1929) was an American

temperance Temperance may refer to: Moderation *Temperance movement, movement to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed *Temperance (virtue), habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion Culture *Temperance (group), Canadian danc ...

and

woman 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 ...

leader. In addition to serving six years as president of the

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...

(W.C.T.U.) (1912–18), for 16 years, she was also the editor and publisher of its organ, ''The Union Worker'' (1898-1912; 1927-29).

Early life and education

Mamie Mildred Perkins was born at

Burlington, Kentucky Burlington is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Boone County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 15,926 at the 2010 census. History Burlington was incorporated in 1824. Burlington marks the county seat of Boo ...

, March 8, 1867. Her parents were Richard C. Perkins (b. 1842) and Jeannette (Blythe) Perkins (b. 1845). The father, a veteran of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, became a homesteader in

Hall County, Nebraska Hall County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 58,607, making it Nebraska's fourth-most populous county. Its county seat is Grand Island. The county was formed in 1858; it was name ...

. Mamie had four younger siblings: Edith, Jeanetta, R. Clark, and Emanuel. She was educated in the public schools of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

and of Hall County, Nebraska, arriving in Nebraska with her family in 1874. She graduated from the high school at

Grand Island, Nebraska Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 53,131 at the 2020 census. Grand Island is the principal city of the Grand Island metropolitan area, which consists of Hall, Merrick, ...

Career

After graduation, she became a teacher in

Howard Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...

and Hall counties. In 1886, she married Jason Lewis Claflin (1858-1944), of Grand Island, Nebraska. For the next ten years, the couple together published the ''

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

Phonograph''. During the period of 1896–1905, they were editors of the ''Ord Journal''. Joining the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

and the W.C.T.U. in the same year, at St. Paul, Nebraska, she was selected as the superintendent of the

Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...

Temperance Department of the W.C.T.U. in 1893. Four years later, she was made State corresponding secretary and also placed in charge of the official State organ, ''The Union Worker'', a position she held for sixteen years, serving as its editor and publisher. In 1913, she was elected president, of the Nebraska W.C.T.U., and she was annually reelected until 1919. In the State Prohibition campaign of 1916, which made Nebraska a

dry state A dry state was a state in the United States in which the manufacture, distribution, importation, and sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited or tightly restricted. Some states, such as North Dakota, entered the United States as dry states, and ...

, Claflin was a member of the board of managers of the State Dry Federation. She maintained an office in

Lincoln, Nebraska Lincoln is the capital city of the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Lancaster County. The city covers with a population of 292,657 in 2021. It is the second-most populous city in Nebraska and the 73rd-largest in the United Sta ...

and had charge of the literature department of the prohibition campaign. 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 was a member of the State Council of Defense, and took a leading part in raising funds and otherwise providing for the comfort of the troops in the cantonments and training camps. She was an ardent suffragist and actively engaged in every campaign in which woman suffrage was an issue, finding time, also, to aid in the work of various other organizations for the advancement of women.

Personal life

The Claflins had three daughters, Faith, Mildred, and Dorothy. Mamie Claflin broke her hip in July 1929, and suffered a stroke thereafter. She died in Lincoln, Nebraska, December 1 of that year and was buried in

Ord, Nebraska Ord is a city in Valley County, Nebraska, Valley County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 2,112 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is the county seat of Valley County, Nebraska, Valley County. History Ord was platted in ...

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Claflin, Mamie 1867 births 1929 deaths American temperance activists Woman's Christian Temperance Union people People from Burlington, Kentucky American suffragists Activists from Nebraska 19th-century American newspaper editors 19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) 20th-century American newspaper editors 20th-century American newspaper publishers (people)