Mary "Mollie" Garrett Hay (August 20, 1857 – August 29, 1928) was an American

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 ...

and community organizer. She served as president of the Women's City Club of New York, the Woman Suffrage Party and the New York Equal Suffrage League. Hay was known for creating woman's suffrage groups across the country. She was also close to the notable suffragist,

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 ...

, with one contemporary,

Rachel Foster Avery Rachel Foster Avery (December 30, 1858 – October 26, 1919) was active in the American women's suffrage movement during the late 19th century, working closely with Susan B. Anthony and other movement leaders. She rose to be corresponding secr ...

, stating that Hay "really loves" Catt.

Early life

Hay was born in

Charlestown, Indiana Charlestown is a city located within Charlestown Township, in Clark County, Indiana, United States. The population was 7,775 at the 2020 census. History Charlestown was established in 1808, named after one of its surveyors, Charles Beggs, upon ...

, on August 20, 1857. She was the eldest of five children of Andrew Jennings Hay, a physician, and Rebecca H. Hay (). Her mother died when she was young and she would travel with her father, who was an important Republican, when he visited patients or had political work. She was a devout

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

. Hay attended the Western Female Seminary in

Oxford, Ohio Oxford is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,035 at the 2020 census. A college town, Oxford was founded as a home for Miami University and lies in the southwestern portion of the state approximately northwest ...

, between 1873 and 1874, where she studied to become a

pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist (Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instructi ...

and later worked for her father's pharmacy.

Activism

Hay moved home after graduation, at a time when the

Women's Crusade The Woman's Crusade was a temperance campaign in the United States in 1873-1874. It was a series of non-violent protests fighting against the dangers of alcoholism. Background Many women in Cleveland, Ohio were inspired by a speech given by Dio ...

was becoming popular in the Midwest. She became involved in the

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...

, particularly in the

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 ...

(WCTU). She served as the local secretary-treasurer before becoming the treasurer for the state chapter, a position that she held for seven years. She ran a department in the national organization by 1885. As the WCTU began to focus on a wider range of issues, including women's suffrage, Hay was persuaded by Zerelda Gray Wallace to join a suffrage group. She worked her way up from the local chapter to the state office. She met

, who was organizing suffrage campaigns across the coutry, possibly while the pair were attending a

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 ...

(NAWSA) convention. In the summer of 1895, Hay and Catt moved in together for a while. When Catt's husband, George, died in 1905, Hay moved in with Catt permanently and took over the household responsibilities. In 1896, when California was creating its state constitution, Hay, along with women she organized, worked to have women's suffrage be included, though the referendum for women to vote was narrowly defeated. Her work in California gave her valuable experience in organizing. Hay created suffrage groups across the country. In November 1895 she and the Rev. Henrietta G. Moore organized the state convention that founded the

West Virginia Equal Suffrage Association The West Virginia Equal Suffrage Association (WVESA) was an organization formed on November 29, 1895, at a conference in Grafton, West Virginia. This conference and the subsequent annual conventions were an integral part of the National American Wo ...

. In 1899, she and Catt traveled through 20 different states, made numerous speeches and attended 15 conventions. At conventions, like one in Topeka in 1918, Hay advocated creating citizenship and civics classes for women. Hay served as the president of the New York Equal Suffrage League from 1910 to 1918. In 1912, she was the president of the group, The Daughters of Indiana. She served as president of the Woman Suffrage Party (WSP) in 1915. During her time in WSP, she organized the enrollment of thousands of women to vote in the state of New York. In 1919, she was also the president of the Women's City Club of New York (WCC). Hay was nominated to the WCC in order to bring a strong leadership role to the civic organization. Hay was also the president of the New York City

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

between 1918 and 1923.

Republican politics

Hay became one of the first women in the Eastern United States to join a political party when she became a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. She served as chair of the Republican Women's National Executive Committee in 1919 and 1920. Hay ensured that women's suffrage remained an important plank in the Republican Party of the time. She encouraged other women to join the party. In 1920, Hay and Catt cast ballots for the first time for president, together.

Later life and legacy

Hay died in Pelham at home of a heart attack. She was found by Catt inside of their home. Catt created a monument to Hay where she was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. After Catt died in 1947, she was buried next to Hay. Their headstone reads, "Here lie two, united in friendship for 38 years through constant service to a great cause". A

historic marker A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other ...

honoring Hay was unveiled in the town square in Charlestown on November 15, 2021.

In popular culture

''Winter Wheat'', a musical by Cathy Bush about the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in Tennessee, premiered at the

Barter Theatre Barter Theatre, in Abingdon, Virginia, opened on June 10, 1933. It is the longest-running professional Equity theatre in the United States. History Concept In 1933, when the United States was in the middle of the Great Depression, many peo ...

in 2016. The original version of the play had a limited run at the Barter in 2014. Hay and

are characters in the play. The show also features anti-suffragist Josephine Anderson Pearson and Tennessee state representative Harry T. Burn, who cast the deciding vote for ratification in Tennessee. Hay was portrayed in the 2022 musical '' Suffs''.

References

Citations

Sources

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External links

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Papers of Mary Garrett Hay
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hay, Mary Garrett 1857 births 1928 deaths People from Charlestown, Indiana American suffragists American women in politics Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) American Presbyterians American temperance activists Clubwomen Activists from New York (state) New York (state) Republicans People from Pelham, New York