Famous Children of R M Todd

Robert and Salene Todd had 4 or 5 Daughters.

Charlotte MacGregor Todd & her famous Son Jacques Lucien Monod

I don't have a birth record for Charlotte, but her passport record indicates she was born September 6, 1867 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Here's the passport record:

I believe the reason for the passport at the time, was to attend a college or university in Germany or Europe. It seems Robert and Salene Todd made sure their daughter's had a good education. I have found Charlotte was a very accomplished musician. She is said to have received training from the masters of Germany and France.

April 16, 1890 Charlotte married William C McAdam in Albert Lea, Minnesota. William was an attorney and a judge. It was reported that not long after the marriage, they moved to Duluth, Minnesota.

A report in the September 6, 1893 Freeborn County Standard, of Albert Lea, MN reported that a divorce was pending between William and Charlotte McAdam.

Another report in the same newspaper November 6, 1895 indicated William and Charlotte were divorced, and that Charlotte had at the time kept his name. It reported Charlotte was serving as an organist at a Catholic Church and that she was a good singer. Also, I noted Charlotte was shown still as Charlotte McAdam on the Minnesota 1895 census.

An 1897 Duluth News Tribune article indicated William C McAdam had resigned his position as a judge, and moved to Washington State. I found a record of death for William and he died 27 Apr 1908 in Utica, Oneida, New York.

After some searching, I found Charlotte had married again in Paris, France. Her name is shown incorrectly for a number of internet articles I've found. She was shown as Charlotte Todd MacGregor. I have since found this is our Charlotte MacGregor Todd, and the name was turned around incorrectly. This information was in articles about her famous Son, Jacques Lucien Monod who had won a Nobel Prize in 1965.

Articles indicated Jacques' Father was Lucien Monod who was an artist and art historian in France, and that his Mother was Charlotte who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Here's a scan of a copy of a work I was able to purchase of art by Lucien Monod:

I found Jacques' Father went by "Lucien", but that his formal name was Hector Lucien Monod. I then found a marriage record for Hector Lucien Monod and Charlotte MacGregor Todd for November 5, 1896 in Paris, France. Here's the marriage record:

Paul Tidemann was able to have this marriage record translated by a Pastor friend in France:

“On November 5, 1896,* upon presentation of the certificate of the civil marriage contracted on November 4th at the Mairie** of the 8th Arrondissement (district) of the town of Paris. Hector Lucien Monod, artist, born in Paris on July 21, 1867, residing in Paris, 26 Friedland, son of Monod Gustave, Louis, Physician and Catherine Louise Armand-Delille, and Charlotte MacGregor Todd, without profession, born in Milwaukee (Wisconsin United States) residing in Paris, 26 Avenue Friedland, daughter of Robert MacGregor Todd and Salene Elmore have received the nuptial benediction through the ministry of the Reverend Perrelet. Residence of the married couple, 26 Avenue Friedland.”

Lucien and Charlotte had 3 children in France. Robert born 1898, Philippe born 1900, and Jacques Lucien born in 1910. By 1917 the family was living in Cannes, France where the annual film festival is held.

The Monod family is an amazing study by itself. You can Google for a lot more information about them.

Anyway, Charlotte's youngest Son was Jacques Lucien Monod, and he won a Nobel Prize in Biology in 1965. Jacques had a very interesting life. Jacques was an accomplished musician, rock climber, sailing enthusiast, and was instrumental in the French Resistance during WWII. Below is a photo of Jacques Lucien Monod:

Jacques is said to be regarded as one of the founders of molecular biology. He suggested the existence of mRNA molecules that link the information encoded in DNA and proteins. All too technical for me to fully understand.

Jacques died in Cannes, France May 31, 1976. Here's a link to a memorial page for Jacques at findagrave.com

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=33296502

Here are some links to articles about Jacques (keep in mind some show Charlotte's name incorrectly, I have written the Pasteur Institut and the Royal Society, but it's hard to get changed--just be sure, this is our ancestor):

Biography of Jacques Lucien Monod:

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1965/monod-bio.html

DNA Learning Center, about Jacques Lucien Monod:

http://www.dnalc.org/view/16063-Jacques-Lucien-Monod.html

Wikipedia, Jacques Lucien Monod:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Monod

Pasteur Institut, bio sketch for Jacques Lucien Monod:

http://www.pasteur.fr/infosci/archives/e_mon0.html

Charlotte apparently died in France about 1954. We don't yet have a death record or an obituary for her. Her husband who went by Lucien Monod was said to be a French artist and Art Historian.

You can google to see what paintings may be currently listed that were done by Lucien Monod. Here's an example of one of Lucien Monod's paintings:

http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/search/Search_Repeat.aspx?searchtype=IMAGES&artist=11157726

Ana Todd

The name of Ana Todd was shown on the 1870 census. This name was not on later census records. The census did indicate this person was born April of 1870. I think this may actually be Helen Todd, as it seems she was born in April of 1870, but I'm not sure why the census record showed "Ana". The census taker may have incorrectly recorded the name, or the name was changed for some reason. If there was an Ana, she was not on the 1880 census.

Helen MacGregor Todd

I believe Helen was born in April 1870, but she could have been born a year or two later. I believe she was born in Minnesota, but some travel records show a birthplace of Iowa, which I think is wrong.

Helen was another famous ancestor. She worked towards many social issues of the time. She helped to change the labor laws in Chicago which benefited women and children's working conditions. She also worked towards women's suffrage and was instrumental in speaking out for this issue in California and nationally. I have records of pages where she gave testimony to Congress, and she had met with President's about women's suffrage.

Here's a photo of Helen MacGregor Todd:

You can Google Helen Todd, Helen M Todd, and Helen McGregor or MacGregor Todd, and find articles about her. There are many newspaper accounts, if you have access to a historic newspaper website. If you search try Helen M Todd, Helen MacGregor or McGregor Todd, and Helen Todd.

Here are some links of interest for Helen:

Article titled: "Getting out the Vote" (1911) by Helen M Todd:

http://wps.ablongman.com/wps/media/objects/30/31419/primarysources4_22_1.html

From a free ebook online an article titled: Why Children Work, The Children's Answer by Helen M Todd:

http://books.google.com/books?id=I4MFAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA3-PA68&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false

Here's a bio from a Who's Who for Helen:

Woman's Who's Who of America, a biographical dictionary . . . . . .

Page 819

TODD, Helen McGregor, 80 Florence Pl., San Francisco, Cal.

"Former State Factory Inspector of Illinois; b. Albert Lea, Minn.; dau. Robert McGregor and Salene (Elmоrе) Todd; ed. In Pestalozzl-Froebel House. Berlin; Univ. of Wis.; Chicago Univ.; Milwaukee Coll.; grad. Kirkland School, Chicago; Duluth Normal and three years' special work in Europe. Six years State Factory Inspector of Illinois; five years In settlement work In Chicago Hull House and Ethical Culture Settlement (Elm St.); two years head of kindergarten dep't Tome Inst., Fort Deposit, Md. Speaker in Cal. suffrage campaign, organizer and chairman afterward of civic work In Cal. On board of Political Equality League, Chicago; sent for by Political Equality League of Cal. to come for suffrage campaign; remained in Cal. to organize the San Francisco Center as a lecturer and organizer. Writer of magazine articles in McClure's and the American magazines. Progressive voter. Recreations: Travel, books, out-door life."

Transcribed Obituary from the August 16, 1953 N Y Times for Helen M Todd:

HELEN TODD DEAD;

SUFFRAGE LEADER

Co-Worker of Mrs. Catt Helped

Secure Low-Rent Housing for

Grenwich Village Artists

Miss Helen Todd of 124 Waverly Place, who had been instrumental in interesting the late Otto H Kahn and Samuel Untermyer in providing low-cost housing for artists, writers and other creative workers in Greenwich Village, died yesterday in Columbus Hospital at the age of 83.

Miss Todd had been a leader in the women's suffrage movement, with the late Mrs Carrie Chapman Catt, and had been active in the campaign to legalize teaching methods of birth control, with Mrs Margaret Sanger.

After World War I, she organized a parade of protest of the blockade "which prevented the sending of milk and medicine to Russian children". In 1922 she was active in the movement to provide food for hungry Austrian children.

Miss Todd campaigned for the election of Alfred E Smith as Governor in 1918 and toured for Senator Robert M LaFollette in the Presidential campaign of 1924.

She had served as a member of the Citizen's Committee for the striking Passaic (N J) textile workers in 1926.

Miss Todd interested Mr Kahn in constructing Twin Peaks at 102 Bedford Street, opened in 1926 as low-rent homes for creative workers.

In 1927, she put her savings of $2,000 in an option on 244 West Tenth Street and then enlisted Mr Kahn and Mr Untermyer to finance the remodeling of the tenement, which became the Artists and Writers House, another low-rent project for creative workers. Miss Todd managed it until it was sold several years ago.

Two sisters, Mrs Ethel Richard and Mrs Philip Monod, both of France, survive.

Helen M Todd died August 15, 1953 in New York.

At the end of the obituary, her 2 surviving sisters are said to be living in France. The one showing as Mrs Philip Monod should be Mrs Lucien Monod. Philippe was Charlotte's Son, so it appears the informant used the wrong name.

Blanche L Todd

Blanche L Todd was born about 1875 in Iowa. I can't be sure, but it seems possible Blanche's middle name could have been Lyman, which was the maiden name of her maternal Grandmother. I haven't seen the MacGregor name associated with Blanche, but she may also have been given the name, as it seems the other Daughter's had it as a middle name.

Blanche attended school in Minneapolis, Minnesota which is where she died October 29, 1892.

She is buried in Duluth, Minnesota.

Ethel Elenore MacGregor Todd

Ethel was born September 18, 1883 in Iowa.

Ethel married Robert Armand Delille Ponselle November 12, 1908 in New York. Robert was from France, and he may have been related to the Monod family. Robert's Mother's maiden name was Armand Delille. Also, Hector Lucien Monod's Mother's maiden name was Armand Delille.

Robert and Ethel had a Daughter named Helen Ponselle, who was born June 25, 1909 in New York.

Robert and Ethel divorced at some point.

A travel record for 1929 showed Ethel was then married to a Paul Richard who was a writer. He was also from France.

Helen Todd's obituary indicated Ethel was in France as Mrs Ethel Richard in 1953 when Helen died.

We don't have death information for Ethel.