The New England Woman's Press Association (NEWPA) was founded by six Boston newspaper women in 1885 and incorporated in 1890. By the turn of the century it had over 150 members. NEWPA sought not only to bring female colleagues together and further their careers in a male-dominated field, but to use the power of the press for the good of society. The group raised funds for charity and supported

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 ...

and other political causes. NEWPA was a charter member of both 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 Federation of Press Women The National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) is a United States-based organization of professional women and men pursuing careers in the field of communications, including electronic, broadcast and print journalism, public relations, marketing, adv ...

, among other organizations. Notable members included

Lucy Stone Lucy Stone (August 13, 1818 – October 18, 1893) was an American orator, abolitionist and suffragist who was a vocal advocate for and organizer promoting rights for women. In 1847, Stone became the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a colle ...

Julia Ward Howe Julia Ward Howe (; May 27, 1819 – October 17, 1910) was an American author and poet, known for writing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the original 1870 pacifist Mother's Day Proclamation. She was also an advocate for abolitionism ...

, and

Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin (August 31, 1842 – March 13, 1924) was an African-American publisher, journalist, civil rights leader, suffragist, and editor of the '' Woman's Era'', the first national newspaper published by and for African-Ameri ...

. Its last meeting was held in 1982.

History

Founding

In November 1885, Marion A. McBride of the ''

Boston Post ''The Boston Post'' was a daily newspaper in New England for over a hundred years before it folded in 1956. The ''Post'' was founded in November 1831 by two prominent Boston, Massachusetts, Boston businessmen, Charles Gordon Greene, Charles G. Gr ...

'' sent out a call to other Boston newspaper women to establish a press association.Also spelled "MacBride"; see Lord (1932), p. 9. McBride had already been involved in the founding of the

Illinois Woman's Press Association The Illinois Woman's Press Association (IWPA) is an Illinois-based organization of professional women and men pursuing careers across the communications spectrum. It was founded in 1885 by a group of 47 women who saw a need for communication and sup ...

and the

National Woman's Press Association The National Woman's Press Association (1884-?), or NWPA, was an American professional association for women journalists. History The NWPA was founded on May 13, 1884, at the World Cotton Centennial in New Orleans, Louisiana. Its aim was not only ...

. Boston was a logical choice for another such group. With 9 daily newspapers and 19 weeklies, it was one of the busiest media centers in the country, but few of its newspapers hired women full time. Most women in the field worked as part-time correspondents and contributors. Their professional opportunities were limited, and they were often treated disrespectfully by their male colleagues.Burt (2000), pp. 153-154. On November 17, six women met at the office of ''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...

'' reporter Sallie Joy White and formed the New England Woman's Press Association (NEWPA).NEWPA (1895), p. 21. Besides McBride and White, the other women were

Helen M. Winslow Helen M. Winslow (pen name, Aunt Philury; April 13, 1851 – March 27, 1938) was an American editor, author, publisher, and journalist. She began her work on Boston papers. Winslow served as dramatic editor on ''The Beacon'', 1891–97; edito ...

of the ''

Boston Daily Advertiser The ''Boston Daily Advertiser'' (est. 1813) was the first daily newspaper in Boston, and for many years the only daily paper in Boston. History The ''Advertiser'' was established in 1813, and in March 1814 it was purchased by journalist Nathan ...

'', Grace W. Soper of the '' Boston Daily Journal'', Estelle M. Hatch (later

Estelle M. H. Merrill Estelle M. H. Merrill (, Hatch; pen name, Jean Kincaid; September 30, 1858 – July 29, 1908) was an American journalist and editor of the long nineteenth century. She lectured on various subjects, especially on educational and sociological questi ...

) of the ''

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'', and freelance journalist

Cora Stuart Wheeler Cora Stuart Wheeler (pen name, Trebor Ohl; September 6, 1852 – March 10, 1897) was a 19th-century American poet and author. She was one of the most successful short-story writers of the day. It was during the civil war, as a girl in her father' ...

. White was chosen to be the first president and Hatch the first secretary. The group met at the headquarters of the ''

Woman's Journal ''Woman's Journal'' was an American women's rights periodical published from 1870 to 1931. It was founded in 1870 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Lucy Stone and her husband Henry Browne Blackwell as a weekly newspaper. In 1917 it was purchased by ...

'' until it outgrew that space and moved to the

Parker House Hotel Parker may refer to: Persons * Parker (given name) * Parker (surname) Places Place names in the United States *Parker, Arizona *Parker, Colorado * Parker, Florida * Parker, Idaho * Parker, Kansas * Parker, Missouri * Parker, North Carolina *Park ...

.NEWPA (1895), p. 22.

Mission and membership

Over the next year, Hatch recruited a dozen more women to the organization.NEWPA (1895), p. 21.

Alice Stone Blackwell Alice Stone Blackwell (September 14, 1857 – March 15, 1950) was an American feminist, suffragist, journalist, radical socialist, and human rights advocate. Early life and education Blackwell was born in East Orange, New Jersey to Henry Browne ...

of the ''

'' headed a committee that drew up a constitution and bylaws. To make clear that NEWPA was a professional association and not a social club, membership was limited to women living in New England who were "regularly and professionally connected with the press of New England, either as writers, editors, business managers, or correspondents—all, in short, for whom work on the press is a vocation, and not an avocation, a breadwinning occupation, and not an amusement." The group was incorporated on September 15, 1890.Burt (2000), p. 163. Starting in 1891, associate members were admitted, but not allowed to vote.Burt (2000), p. 155. Most of NEWPA's members were from the Boston area; others hailed from Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Nova Scotia. They included proprietors of local newspapers such as the ''Winthrop Visitor'', editors of household, fashion, society, art, and literature departments, and freelance journalists who contributed to many different newspapers and magazines.

Lillian A. Lewis Lillian A. Lewis (born in 1869) was the first African American woman journalist in Boston, Massachusetts. She started her career in the 1880s with the ''Boston Advocate'', a Black community newspaper, and began writing for the ''Boston Herald'' ...

, the first African-American woman reporter in Boston, made national headlines when she was admitted to the association in 1889. In the 1920s, NEWPA began accepting radio script writers, public relations writers, playwrights, and other "kindred women writers." The association maintained an average of more than 120 members until the mid-1940s.Burt (2000), p. 158. NEWPA's constitution served as a model for many other women's press organizations over the next twenty years; for example, the Pacific Coast Woman's Press Association, founded in 1890, modeled its constitution after NEWPA's, and went on to become a leader of the women's movement in California. NEWPA's object was "to promote acquaintance and good-fellowship among newspaper women" and to use the power of the press to promote "good objects in social, philanthropic, and reformatory lines." In other words, it was a professional association, but one that aimed to make a positive difference in the community.NEWPA (1895), p. 5. As such, it was part of the

women's club movement The woman's club movement was a social movement that took place throughout the United States that established the idea that women had a moral duty and responsibility to transform public policy. While women's organizations had always been a part ...

. It became a charter member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs in 1890; the International Federation of Women's Press Clubs in 1891; the Massachusetts Federation of Women's Clubs in 1895; and the National Federation of Press Women in 1938.

Social and professional activities

For the first few years, NEWPA held literary and business meetings twice a month, elections each November, and an outing each spring. They invited prominent authors and newspaper women such as

Jane Cunningham Croly Jane Cunningham Croly (December 19, 1829 – December 23, 1901) was a British-born American author and journalist, better known by her pseudonym, Jennie June. She was a pioneer author and editor of women's columns in leading newspapers and magaz ...

,Burt (2000), p. 156.

Amelia Edwards Amelia Ann Blanford Edwards (7 June 1831 – 15 April 1892), also known as Amelia B. Edwards, was an English novelist, journalist, traveller and Egyptologist. Her literary successes included the ghost story "The Phantom Coach" (1864), the novel ...

, and Frances H. Burnett''Boston Post'' (February 11, 1894). to speak about their work. Each February, male friends and relatives of members were invited to a "Gentlemen's Night" at the Hotel Vendome, featuring guest speakers such as Mayor Josiah Quincy. One member wrote in 1901, "However busy a newspaper woman may be the rest of the year, on gentlemen's night she lays aside all care, puts on her most becoming gown, and consigns to oblivion assignments, hurry calls for copy, and all the rest of the daily routine." They also hosted special events, such as authors' readings, teas, and receptions. During World War I the association began holding fewer social events, but continued holding monthly business and literary meetings. NEWPA established the Woman's Press Bureau in 1888 to help members find work. On February 11, 1894, they called attention to the work of women journalists by publishing a special "women's edition" of the ''Boston Post'', "written, edited, and put out entirely by women." In the 1930s and 40s, NEWPA regularly broadcast shows on WEEI and WORL. Starting in the 1930s they also published a monthly bulletin. Annual workshops offered expertise on such topics as "Writing a Feature Column" and "Editing Winter Sports." In 1946 NEWPA established an annual awards competition, with several categories such as news story, feature story, and "article or column of special interest to women." The New England Newspaper Woman of the Year award was added in 1951; recipients included

Catherine Coyne Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

of the ''Boston Herald'', Mary Crewmen of the ''Boston Globe'', and Mary Handy of the ''Christian Science Monitor''.

Charitable and reform efforts

In its early years, NEWPA was active in community affairs and politics. On January 18, 1887, the same day its constitution and bylaws were adopted, the group was addressed by "Mme. Charpiot," superintendent of the Home for Intemperate Women, who spoke of the need for matrons at Boston's police stations. Marion McBride had first spoken to Ms. Charpiot about this issue in 1886. She recalled later:

I told her I had determined to take it up and not lay it down until we had police matrons, not only for the city, but for the State as well. I went to police headquarters and got from the books the numbers of women arrested in 1885 and other facts and figures which I sent out at once to the leading papers in the State and to papers in Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco and New Orleans.''Boston Globe'' (May 4, 1887).

In February, the "lady newspaper men" of NEWPA voted to show their support for the movement by signing a petition to the state legislature. A few days later, a short article in the ''Boston Globe'' reminded readers of the need for police matrons, and encouraged activists to keep the pressure on city and state officials. NEWPA's reporters and editors continued to call the public's attention to the issue over the next few months. By early May the legislature had passed a bill to appoint police matrons in Massachusetts cities and establish a house of detention for women in Boston. McBride attributed the success of the movement to the "kindness and courage" of the Boston press. The association campaigned for international copyright laws in 1889, and for "clean journalism" at the turn of the century. During the

Panic of 1893 The Panic of 1893 was an economic depression in the United States that began in 1893 and ended in 1897. It deeply affected every sector of the economy, and produced political upheaval that led to the political realignment of 1896 and the pres ...

it formed a benevolent society, "Samaritania," which raised money for the poor and established a fund for journalists in need. They organized authors' readings, auctions, and other fundraising events, and sponsored a hospital bed for women writers at Lynn Hospital. In 1914, NEWPA marched in the Boston suffrage parade, and in 1919 Dr. Grace E. Cross represented NEWPA at the

National Woman's Party The National Woman's Party (NWP) was an American women's political organization formed in 1916 to fight for women's suffrage. After achieving this goal with the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the NW ...

demonstration in Washington, D.C.Burt (2000), p. 157. NEWPA was far less politically active during the "women's liberation" movement of the 1960s and 70s. The association took no formal position on the

Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and ...

, for example, issued no petitions, and sent no representatives to demonstrations. One former president, Muriel Knight, said members were too busy to devote much time to activism, while another, Evelena Hudson, attributed the change to conservative leadership.Burt (2000), p. 159.

Later years

Membership declined over the years due to competition from other groups such as the

Society of Professional Journalists The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, letter ...

(SPJ), American Women in Radio & Television (AWRT), and Women in Communications, Inc. (WICI). In an attempt to attract new members, NEWPA began admitting men in the early 1970s. Attendance continued to decline, and fewer meetings were held. The association held its last annual meeting in 1982.

Presidents

* Sallie Joy White, 1885-1890 * Estelle M. Hatch, 1891-1893 * Helen M. Winslow, 1894-1895 * May Alden Ward, 1896-1897 * Elizabeth Merritt Gosse, 1898 * Nella I. Daggett, 1899-1900 * Annie G. Murray, 1901-1902 * Emeline Carr Ricker, 1903-1904 * Allie A. Whitaker, 1905Lord (1932), p. 211 * Kate Tannatt Woods, 1906 * Sallie Joy White, 1907-1908 * Eleanor W. F. Bates, 1908 (interim) * Bessie Brown Cobb, 1908-1910 * Ida May Pierce, 1911-1912 * Myra B. Lord, 1913-15 * M. Agnes Dalrymple Bishop, 1916 * Grace M. Burt, 1917-1918 * Rose Moore Strong, 1919-1920 * Jessie L. Leonard, 1921-1922 * Annie Judson Hannigan, 1923-1924 * Norah Johnson Barbour, 1925-1926 * Helena B. Shipman, 1927-1928 * Helena C. Mahoney, 1929-1930 * Mildred Buchanan Flagg, 1931Lord (1932), p. 375. * Muriel Knight, 1972-1973 * Evelena Hudson, 1973-1974

Notable members

Martha Violet Ball Martha Violet Ball (May 17, 1811 – December 22, 1894) was a 19th-century American educator, philanthropist, activist, writer, and editor. Ball and her sister, Lucy, undertook the work of opening a school for young African American girls in the W ...

(1811–1894), charter member *

Anna Barrows Anna Barrows (1861 – February 11, 1948) was an American educator and author, known for being a pioneering woman in the field of home economics. She contributed to the foundation of the Home Economics Movement through her unique demonstrations, ...

(1861-1948), home economics expertNEWPA (1895), p. 11. *

Isabel Barrows (Katherine) Isabel Hayes Chapin Barrows (April 17, 1845 – October 24, 1913) was the first woman employed by the United States State Department. She worked as a stenographer for William H. Seward in 1868 while her husband, Samuel June Barrows, w ...

(1845-1913), ophthalmologist''Good Housekeeping'' (December 21, 1889), p. 93. * Cynthia Holmes Belcher (1827-?), journalist * Mary Agnes Dalrymple Bishop (1857–1934), Executive Committee *

(1857-1950), feminist, suffragist * Mary Elizabeth Blake (1840-1907), poet * Mabel Louise Blodgett (1869-1959), novelist, children's book author *

Helen A. Clarke Helen Archibald Clarke (November 13, 1860 – February 8, 1926) was an American literary critic, book editor, composer and lyricist, and the co-founder of the journal '' Poet Lore''. She was influential in shaping the American literary taste of ...

(1860-1926), literary critic and editor * Katherine E. Conway (1853-1927), editor of the ''

Pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...

'' *

Mary Catherine Crowley Mary Catherine Crowley (pen name, Janet Grant; November 28, 1856 – May 4, 1920) was an American author of poems and novels. She was also an accomplished musician and linguist. Crowley began her literary work in 1877 as a contributor of poems an ...

(1856-?), Catholic and children's writer * Ellen B. Dietrick (1847-1895), suffragist and authorNEWPA (1895), p. 12. * Mildred Buchanan Flagg (1886-1980), writer, lecturer, and clubwoman * Lavinia Stella Goodwin (1833-1911), charter member * Kate E. Griswold (born ca. 1869), publisher of ''Profitable Advertising'' *

Louise Imogen Guiney Louise Imogen Guiney (January 7, 1861 – November 2, 1920) was an American poet, essayist and editor, born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Biography The daughter of Gen. Patrick R. Guiney, an Irish-born American Civil War officer and lawyer,''The ...

(1861-1920), poet''Good Housekeeping'' (December 21, 1889), p. 94. * Estelle M. Hatch (1858-1908), NEWPA co-founder and second presidentNEWPA (1895), p. 14. *

(1819-1910), author and activistNEWPA (1895), p. 18. * Muriel Knight (?-2009),

WILD Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wild animal * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed Art, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Wild'' (2014 film), a 2014 A ...

reporter, first African-American president of NEWPA *

(1861-?), Boston's first African-American woman journalist * Mary J. Lincoln (1844-1921), cooking teacher, cookbook author * Marion A. McBride (?-1909), co-founder of three press associations *

Louise Chandler Moulton Louise Chandler Moulton (April 10, 1835 - August 10, 1908) was an American poet, story-writer and critic. Contributing poems and stories of power and grace to the leading magazines, '' Harper's Magazine'', ''The Atlantic'', '' The Galaxy'', the ...

(1835-1908), poet * Grace Atkinson Oliver (1844-1899), author, advocate of women's rights *

Annie Stevens Perkins Annie Stevens Perkins (, Stevens; after first marriage, Perkins; after second marriage, Jackson; April 12, 1868 – May 22, 1946) was an American writer. Her works include, ''Thoughts of Peace'', ''Appointed Paths'', and ''Book of Poems'', as wel ...

(born 1868), writer * Charlotte Porter (1857-1942), literary critic and editorNEWPA (1895), p. 15. *

Ella Farman Pratt Eliza Anna Farman Pratt (1837–1907) (pen names, Ella Farman and Dorothea Alice Shepherd) was an American writer of children's literature, best known for editing '' Wide Awake'' magazine for 16 years, starting in 1875. Early life Farman was bor ...

(1837–1907), editor of '' Wide Awake'' *

(1842-1924), civil rights leader and suffragist *

Emily McGary Selinger Emily Selinger (, McGary; February 22, 1848 – July 16, 1927) was an American painter of still life and floral, author of travel writing and poetry, and an educator. Early life and education Emily Harris McGary was born in Wilmington, North Carol ...

(1848–1927), painter, writer, poet, educator *

Harriette Lucy Robinson Shattuck Harriette R. Shattuck (, Robinson; December 4, 1850 – March 24, 1937) was an American author, parliamentarian, teacher of parliamentary law, and pioneer suffragist. Shattuck served as assistant clerk of the Massachusetts House of Representative ...

(1850-1937), author, writer on parliamentary law, suffragist *

(1818-1893), abolitionist and women's rights activist *

Evelyn Greenleaf Sutherland Evelyn Greenleaf Sutherland (September 15, 1855 – December 24, 1908) was an American journalist, author and playwright. Early life A sixth-generation Bostonian, Sutherland was born on September 15, 1855, in Cambridge, Massachusetts to James a ...

(1855-1908), drama critic and playwrightNEWPA (1895), p. 16. * Clara Augusta Jones Trask (1839-1905), freelance writer, novelist * Kate Vannah (1855-1933), journalist, songwriter *

Adelaide Cilley Waldron Adelaide Cilley Waldron (, Cilley; pen name, A. C. Waldron; February 23, 1843 – June 16, 1909) was an American author and editor of the long nineteenth century. She wrote poems, hymns, sonnets, children's stories, essays, and letters for newspape ...

(1843-1909), author, editor, clubwoman * May Alden Ward (1853-1918), author, lecturer, clubwoman * Emily Greene Wetherbee (1839-1937), journalist, schoolteacher, and poet *

(1852-1897) poet, art criticNEWPA (1895), p. 17. * Sallie Joy White (1847-1909), first full-time woman reporter for a Boston newspaper *

Sibyl Wilbur Sibyl Wilbur O'Brien Stone (May 27, 1871 – July 21, 1946), best known as Sibyl Wilbur, was an American journalist, suffragist, and author of a biography of Mary Baker Eddy. She was a San Diego Branch Member of the National League of American Pe ...

(1871-1946), journalist and biographer * S. Fannie Gerry Wilder (1850-1923), authorLord (1932), p. 59. *

(1851-1938), journalist, poet, novelistNEWPA (1895), pp. 2, 17. * Kate Tannatt Woods (1836-1910), author, editor, journalist, clubwoman

History

Founding

Mission and membership

Social and professional activities

Charitable and reform efforts

Later years

Presidents

Notable members

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

Further reading