Minnie C. T. Love (November 9, 1855 – May 13, 1942) was an American physician and political office holder. She was an active suffragist and a member of the

Women of the Ku Klux Klan Women of the Ku Klux Klan (WKKK), also known as Women's Ku Klux Klan, and Ladies of the Invisible Empire, held to many of the same political and social ideas of the KKK but functioned as a separate branch of the national organization with their o ...

Early life and education

Minehaha Cecelia Tucker was born on November 9, 1855 in

La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census w ...

to William Henry and Lizzie Letitia (Roosevelt) Tucker. Her sister,

Blanche Roosevelt Blanche Roosevelt (2 October 1853 – 10 September 1898), born Blanche Roosevelt Tucker, was an American opera singer, author and journalist. She is best remembered for creating the role of Mabel in ''The Pirates of Penzance'' by Gilbert and Sulli ...

, was an opera singer and writer. Tucker married Charles Guerley Love on August 16, 1876 in

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The family moved to Denver, Colorado in the late 1870s, where Minnie C. T. Love became involved in the campaign for

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 ...

Career

Medicine

Love studied medicine at Howard University College of Medicine. She spent 12 years as the Chief Physician of the Florence Crittenton Home in Denver, Colorado, and served on its board. She also helped to establish the Colorado State Industrial School for Girls, serving there as a state-appointed physician and board member. Love was also appointed to serve on the Colorado state board of health. In 1897, Love led the founding of the Babies Summer Hospital, later renamed the Children's Hospital.

Suffrage

Love was a member of the Equal Suffrage Association, as well as the

Women'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 ...

and the Denver Women's Club. The latter club met at her house to discuss "the ideas of eugenics and better breeding."

Politics

Love was elected to the

Colorado House of Representatives The Colorado House of Representatives is the lower house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Colorado. The House is composed of 65 members from an equal number of constituent districts, with each distr ...

in 1921, where she served as chairman of the Committee on Medical Affairs and Public Health. She lost her reelection bid in 1922, but was successfully reelected in 1924. While in office, she focused on family health and pre-natal care. She was an advocate for the forced sterilization of "epileptics and the insane."

Involvement in the Ku Klux Klan

The Colorado Klan was founded by

John Galen Locke John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

in 1921 and headquartered in Denver. In December of 1924, Meta L. Gremmels, Ester B. Hunt, and Denver Women's Club member Laurena H. Senter incorporated the Colorado chapter of the

. Minnie C. T. Love joined, holding the office of "excellent commander."

Death

Minnie C. T. Love died on May 13, 1942.

References

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Love, Minnie Created via preloaddraft 1855 births 1942 deaths American women physicians American suffragists Clubwomen