Ida Sammis Woodruff Satchwell (née Bunce) (October 8, 1865 – June 3, 1943) was a prominent early female Republican party

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 politician from Suffolk County, New York. Sammis was one of the first two women elected to the

New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an officia ...

Family and early life

Ida Sammis was born to Eliphalet and Margaret (Rogers) Bunce on October 8, 1865 in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, New York. She married a merchant, Edgar A. Sammis, who died in a car accident in 1917. Ida and Edgar had one son together.

Political career

In 1911, Sammis organized the first women's suffrage club in Suffolk County. After women gained the right to vote in New York in 1917, Sammis ran at the

New York state election, 1918 The 1918 New York state election was held on November 5, 1918, to elect the governor, the lieutenant governor, the secretary state, the state comptroller, the attorney general, the state treasurer and the state engineer, as well as all membe ...

for the New York State Assembly (Suffolk Co., 2nd D.). Along with

Mary Lilly Mary Madden Lilly (July 18, 1859 in Roxbury, Boston, Roxbury, Massachusetts – October 11, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York) was a Progressive era activist who had a prominent role in New York City's social movement, social refo ...

, Sammis was one of the first two New York assemblywomen, sitting in the 142nd New York State Legislature in 1919. According to contemporary news accounts, including in The

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under pub ...

, Sammis' first act as a legislator was to remove the brass

spittoon A spittoon (or spitoon) is a receptacle made for spitting into, especially by users of chewing and dipping tobacco. It is also known as a cuspidor (which is the Portuguese word for "spitter" or "spittoon", from the verb "cuspir" meaning "to s ...

assigned to her, polish it to a brilliant shine, and place it on her desk as a vase filled with flowers. Sammis primarily concerned herself with legislation affecting her Assembly district. During Sammis' first year in the Assembly, ten of fourteen bills that she introduced were passed. Sammis introduced a bill "prohibiting the employment of women under 21 as elevator conductors; and forbidding adult women to be employed as elevator conductors more than 54 hours a week, or before 7 A. M., or after 10 P. M. The bill also required that seats must be provided for all women conductors in elevators." Sammis continued to be active in community organizations following her single term.

Later life and death

Her second husband was Alden J. Woodruff, a retired doctor from Babylon NY whom she married in January 1923. After the death of Woodruff she married a third time, to George E. Satchwell. Ida Satchwell died June 3, 1943.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sammis, Ida American suffragists Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly 1865 births 1943 deaths Women state legislators in New York (state) People from Huntington, New York Activists from New York (state)