Molly Dewson and Polly Porter, Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx 1925

Mary G. "Polly" Porter (March 1884 - 1972) was a social worker and for more than 50 years the partner of

Mary Dewson Mary Williams (Molly) Dewson (1874–1962) was an American feminist and political activist. After graduating from Wellesley College in 1897, she worked for the Women's Educational and Industrial Union. She became an active member of the National ...

, feminist and political activist. Porter was a close friend of Eleanor Roosevelt and part of her tight-knit circle of female friends.

Biography

Mary G. Porter, born in March, 1884, was the daughter of William D. Porter and Mabel G. Porter. Porter was independently wealthy and bred and raised Sheltie dogs at a kennel she owned in Georgetown, Connecticut. In 1910, Porter attended the Boston School for Social Workers to study to become a social worker. She began an internship at the Massachusetts State Industrial School for Girls under Mary Williams "Molly" Dewson, superintendent of parole, who became her lifelong partner. When the internship ended, Porter remained at the school as a volunteer. According to Dewson's biographer, Susan Ware, Porter was openly approved of by Dewson's mother. In 1912, Dewson and Porter bought a house in

Berlin, Massachusetts Berlin ( ) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was first settled in 1665 and incorporated in 1812, and is governed under the open town meeting system. It is located northeast of Worcester and west of Boston. The ...

, and in 1913 moved to a dairy farm in Worcester, Massachusetts. During World War I, both she and Dewson spent 15 months with the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

in France to aid war refugees. In 1922, they moved to 171 West 12th Street; in the same building lived

Marion Dickerman Marion Dickerman (April 11, 1890 – May 16, 1983) was an American suffragist, educator, vice-principal of the Todhunter School, and a close friend of Eleanor Roosevelt. Birth and early life Born in Westfield, New York, she studied for two y ...

and Nancy Cook, Grace Hutchins and Anna Rochester. Nearby, at 20 East 11th Street, lived

Esther Lape Esther Everett Lape (8 October 1881 – 17 May 1981) was a well-known American journalist, researcher, and publicist. She was associated with the Women's Trade Union League and was one of the founders of the League of Women Voters. Her life-partn ...

and

Elizabeth Fisher Read Elizabeth Fisher Read (1872 – December 13, 1943) was a scholar and Women's Suffrage activist, and one of Eleanor Roosevelt's most dear friends. Early life Elizabeth Fisher Read was born in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, in 1872. She graduated fro ...

. They were part of Roosevelt's support network of female friends. For several years, Porter and Dewson split their time between New York City and a cottage at Castine, Maine, Moss Acre, the Porter family homeplace, built by Porter’s father in the 1895 as a seasonal home and refuge. In 1952, they retired to Castine full-time. Porter died in 1972, in Castine, and is buried in the local cemetery together with Dewson who had died 10 years earlier.

Legacy

During summer 2017, the Castine Historical Society held the exhibition "Castine’s Devoted Women: Partnership and Social Reform 1910-1962" focused on Mary W. "Molly" Dewson and Mary G. "Polly" Porter.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Mary G. 1884 births 1972 deaths American social workers