National Votes for Women-blog post

Votes for Women:

Historical Marker Unvieled at Randolph College

by Andi Curtis "23and Emilie Bryant

On Wednesday, September 7, 2022, President Sue Otts Rowlands and guest speakers Ted Delaney, Professor Jennifer Gauthier, and Nancy Tate introduced Randolph College as a stop on the National Votes for Women Trail. Just past the corner of Rivermont Avenue and Norfolk Avenue, a tall gray and purple sign now stands, detailing the efforts of Professor Nellie Powell and her students to establish a chapter of the National College Equal Suffrage League.
Though the sign specifies that these efforts took place in 1913, a letter from Lucy Somerville Howorth to Dr. Elizabeth Lipscomb details the efforts of Eleanor Somerville, class of 1912, to establish an equal suffrage league at Randolph-Macon Woman's College during her senior year. Through a series of “Senior Parlor Coups,” the ladies of Randolph-Macon Woman's College had many meetings together to dodge disapproval from members of the faculty and staff. The Senior Parlor was the sole venue where students were not required to get faculty approval for visitors. She was not allowed to speak as an official guest of the college. They invited their first suffragette speaker, Dr. Anna Howard Shaw, into the senior parlor to have tea and chat with members of the suffrage league. Then in 1913, Mary Johnston was slated to attend another of these little coups, but when the Dean, Dr. Patillo, of the college caught wind of the impending visit, the decision was made that she was of too high esteem to not be on the campus in an unofficial capacity. Lucy Somerville Howorth, who was then in charge of the Equal Suffrage League, had no choice but to bow to the wishes of the school. Mary Johnston was not supposed to give a speech about suffrage to the students of Randolph-Macon Woman’s college, however, after five minutes of speaking on Virginia literature, she dove into her speech about suffrage and feminism.
According to Lucy, some faculty at the school squirmed while others appeared pleased. I imagine that Nellie Powell, then adjunct professor of English, was among those who were pleased with the turn of events. It is after this experience that Lucy says she felt that their “small league” began to feel as though they were making some headway.
Nellie Powell, first an adjunct and later an associate professor of English at Randolph Macon-Woman’s College, helped to lead the school chapter of the National College Equal Suffrage League in conjunction with Lucy Somerville (‘16), Gladys Owen (‘15), Mary Houston ('16), and Thelma West (‘16).
Randolph College is proud of its history as a women’s college and of its long history of activism. It is one of only two stops in the state of Virginia on the National Votes for Women Trail and is one of only two suffrage organizations in Lynchburg at the time of the student efforts.
-Andi Curtis '23

Eleanor Somerville

Eleanor Somerville's senior portrait in the 1912 Helianthus is accompanied with a biography saying she is an acknowledged suffragette. Also shown here is the famous Senior Parlor.

Lucy Somerville

Lucy's 1985 letter to then English Professor Dr. Elizabeth Lipscomb notes that Eleanor founded the first Suffragette Club at Randolph Macon Woman's College.

Mary Houston

Houston served as the Corresponding Secretary of the first Suffragette Club

Thelma West

West Served as the Treasurer of the first Suffragette Club

Gladys Owen

Owen served as the Recording Secretary of the of the first Suffragette Club

Nellie Powell

Powell served as Vice President of the first Suffragette Club

We are especially grateful for the Campus Archives, located in the Lipscomb Library, where all the documents and photographs were found.

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