【Move to another page】
Quote
https://ift.tt/2Ixr1tX
Elsie Hart Wilcox
Maile66: insert image
[[File:Elsie_Hart_Wilcox.jpg|thumb|right|Elsie Hart Wilcox]]
'''Elsie Hart Wilcox''' (March 22, 1879 – June 30,1954) was first woman to serve in the Senate of the Territory of Hawaii. Dedicated to public service, she rose up through the Mokihana Club on [[Kauai]] prior to the [[19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution]] giving women the legal right to vote. She was the descendant of missionaries who arrived in Hawaii during the 19th century, and was the sister of pioneer nurse [[Mabel Isabel Wilcox|Mabel Wilcox]]. Although born into an economically privileged family, she spent her adult life championing public school teachers, and volunteering in community services.
==Family background==
She was born March 22, 1879, in the [[Kingdom of Hawaii]], on [[Grove Farm (Lihue, Hawaii)|Grove Farm]] on the island of [[Kauai]], one of five children of [[Samuel Whitney Wilcox]] (1847–1929) and [[Emma Washburn Lyman Wilcox]] (1849–1934). Her mother was a seminary student in Chicago in 1871 when the [[Great Chicago Fire]] occurred,<ref></ref> and her father was a Kauai sugar planter, manager of a cattle ranch, and sheriff of Kauai for 25 years.<ref></ref>
Maternal grandparents [[David Belden Lyman]] (1803–1884) and [[Sarah Joiner Lyman]] (1805–1885), as well as paternal grandparents [[Abner Wilcox]] (1808–1869) and [[Lucy Eliza Hart Wilcox]] (1814–1869), had been sent to Hawaii by the [[American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions]] in [[Massachusetts]]. She was the niece of businessmen [[George Norton Wilcox]] and [[Albert Spencer Wilcox]].
Elsie was raised in financially privileged circumstances, one of six children in a family of achieving siblings. Her sister [[Lucy Etta Wilcox Sloggett]] (1877–1933), married in 1903 to Kauai sugar planter Henry Digby Sloggett (1876–1938), was a civic leader on Kauai, and also the [[World War I]] secretary of the Maui chapter of the American Red Cross.<ref>; ; ; Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Sister [[Mabel Isabel Wilcox]] (1882–1978) served with the Red Cross in Europe during World War I, and was decorated by Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium and by the Mayor of Le Havre. Mabel was instrumental in instituting public nursing services on Kauai and in getting a hospital built on the island.<ref >; ; </ref> Elsie's brother [[Ralph Lyman Wilcox]] (1876–1913) was a plantation overseer on Kauai'<ref></ref> brother [[Charles Henry Wilcox]] (1880–1920) served in the [[Hawaii National Guard]], managed sugar plantations, and had been a representative in the territorial legislature;<ref></ref> brother [[Gaylord Parke Wilcox]] (1881–1970) was Chairman of the Board of Grove Farm, Ltd.<ref></ref>
She attended the private college preparatory [[Punahou School]], graduating in 1902 from [[Wellesley College]] in Massachusetts. After college, she had a brief sojourn in Europe. In 1907, she and her sister Mabel accompanied their uncle George Wilcox on a tour of Asia. Mabel, Elsie, and their parents toured Canada and the American states along the Atlantic seaboard in 1909.<ref>; </ref>
==Civic involvement==
Elsie was a founding member and first president of the Mokihana Literary Club in 1905, organized with the express purpose of, " ...the study and discussion of various governments of the world."<ref></ref> Prior to women being allowed to hold public office or even vote, they used the power of clubs to effect social reforms. Later shortened to the [[Mokihana Club]], they broadened to include women's suffrage (voting rights), current events, public health and education, music and the arts, literature (they had their own library), environmental conservation. Speakers from a wide spectrum were brought in, and civic involvement was encouraged. Twenty years after the club's founding, it had been so varied and far-reaching in its influence, that the ''[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]'' ran a four-part series to cover the accomplishments.<ref>; ; ; </ref>
Her own civic activities went hand-in-hand with the goals of the Mokihana Club. She became Secretary-Treasurer of the Kauai Historical Society in 1914, a membership she held until her death.<ref></ref> During [[World War I]], she was chairman of the Kauai Branch of the Women's Committee of the Territorial Food Commission.<ref></ref> Elsie headed the International Institute of the Y. W. C. A. in Honolulu, established in 1919 to help curb the school drop-out ratio among immigrant non-English-speaking girls.<ref></ref> In 1927 she became a director of Bishop Trust Company, retaining that position the rest of her life.<ref></ref>
==Political office==
She was appointed chairman of the Kauai Board of Child Welfare in 1920. That same year, territorial governor [[Charles J. McCarthy]] appointed her to fill a vacancy on the Board of Commissioners of Public Instruction from Kauai. She strongly objected to the 1932 resolution for reduction of hundreds of teaching jobs, joined in the opposition only by superintendent of instruction Will C. Crawford.<ref>; ; ; </ref> Shortly after its passage, she ran on the [[Hawaii Republican Party|Republican]] ticket for Territory of Hawaii senator from Kauai. In newspaper coverage of her candidacy, her focus on education and community involvement was noted, as was her concern for world peace.<ref></ref>
Her November election victory gave her the distinction of being the first woman elected to the Senate of the Territory of Hawaii. Committee assignments for her during her first term were Judiciary, Education, Health, Public Lands and one of the "Chairmen of special committees of the senate".<ref>; </ref> She was re-elected ini 1934, and served on the Judiciary, Education and Rules committees.<ref>; </ref> Her 1936 and 1938 re-elections allowed her to introduce legislation to equalize the pay standard for teachers, and help push the amended version through the legislature.<ref>; ; }</ref>
Her 1940 re-election bid resulted in a primary defeat.<ref></ref>
==Later years==
During [[World War II]], she became Kauai branch chairman of the [[United Service Organizations]].<ref></ref> After the war, Governor [[Oren E. Long]] appointed her to the territorial commission on historical sites. She then became ex-officio chairman of the Kauai County advisory committee of historical sites.<ref>; </ref> She also supported the Women's Board of Missions as extension chairman of Kauai .<ref></ref>
Sisters Mabel, Lucy and Elsie restored the old [[Waioli Mission District|Waioli Mission House]] in 1921. After Lucy's death in 1933, Mabel and Elsie became the sole owners and opened it to the public as a museum.<ref></ref>
For the remainder of her life, Elsie continued to hold membership and positions in a number of civic and political organizations.<ref ></ref> After prolonged health issues, Elsie Wilcox died on June 30, 1954. Although she spent her life as a pubic personality, her last wishes were a funeral attended only by her family.<ref>; ; </ref>
==References==
== Sources ==
*
*Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)
*Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)
==External links==
*
[[Category:1879 births]]
[[Category:1954 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Kauai]]
[[Category:People of the Territory of Hawaii]]
[[Category:Kingdom of Hawaii people]]
'''Elsie Hart Wilcox''' (March 22, 1879 – June 30,1954) was first woman to serve in the Senate of the Territory of Hawaii. Dedicated to public service, she rose up through the Mokihana Club on [[Kauai]] prior to the [[19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution]] giving women the legal right to vote. She was the descendant of missionaries who arrived in Hawaii during the 19th century, and was the sister of pioneer nurse [[Mabel Isabel Wilcox|Mabel Wilcox]]. Although born into an economically privileged family, she spent her adult life championing public school teachers, and volunteering in community services.
==Family background==
She was born March 22, 1879, in the [[Kingdom of Hawaii]], on [[Grove Farm (Lihue, Hawaii)|Grove Farm]] on the island of [[Kauai]], one of five children of [[Samuel Whitney Wilcox]] (1847–1929) and [[Emma Washburn Lyman Wilcox]] (1849–1934). Her mother was a seminary student in Chicago in 1871 when the [[Great Chicago Fire]] occurred,<ref></ref> and her father was a Kauai sugar planter, manager of a cattle ranch, and sheriff of Kauai for 25 years.<ref></ref>
Maternal grandparents [[David Belden Lyman]] (1803–1884) and [[Sarah Joiner Lyman]] (1805–1885), as well as paternal grandparents [[Abner Wilcox]] (1808–1869) and [[Lucy Eliza Hart Wilcox]] (1814–1869), had been sent to Hawaii by the [[American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions]] in [[Massachusetts]]. She was the niece of businessmen [[George Norton Wilcox]] and [[Albert Spencer Wilcox]].
Elsie was raised in financially privileged circumstances, one of six children in a family of achieving siblings. Her sister [[Lucy Etta Wilcox Sloggett]] (1877–1933), married in 1903 to Kauai sugar planter Henry Digby Sloggett (1876–1938), was a civic leader on Kauai, and also the [[World War I]] secretary of the Maui chapter of the American Red Cross.<ref>; ; ; Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref> Sister [[Mabel Isabel Wilcox]] (1882–1978) served with the Red Cross in Europe during World War I, and was decorated by Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium and by the Mayor of Le Havre. Mabel was instrumental in instituting public nursing services on Kauai and in getting a hospital built on the island.<ref >; ; </ref> Elsie's brother [[Ralph Lyman Wilcox]] (1876–1913) was a plantation overseer on Kauai'<ref></ref> brother [[Charles Henry Wilcox]] (1880–1920) served in the [[Hawaii National Guard]], managed sugar plantations, and had been a representative in the territorial legislature;<ref></ref> brother [[Gaylord Parke Wilcox]] (1881–1970) was Chairman of the Board of Grove Farm, Ltd.<ref></ref>
She attended the private college preparatory [[Punahou School]], graduating in 1902 from [[Wellesley College]] in Massachusetts. After college, she had a brief sojourn in Europe. In 1907, she and her sister Mabel accompanied their uncle George Wilcox on a tour of Asia. Mabel, Elsie, and their parents toured Canada and the American states along the Atlantic seaboard in 1909.<ref>; </ref>
==Civic involvement==
Elsie was a founding member and first president of the Mokihana Literary Club in 1905, organized with the express purpose of, " ...the study and discussion of various governments of the world."<ref></ref> Prior to women being allowed to hold public office or even vote, they used the power of clubs to effect social reforms. Later shortened to the [[Mokihana Club]], they broadened to include women's suffrage (voting rights), current events, public health and education, music and the arts, literature (they had their own library), environmental conservation. Speakers from a wide spectrum were brought in, and civic involvement was encouraged. Twenty years after the club's founding, it had been so varied and far-reaching in its influence, that the ''[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]'' ran a four-part series to cover the accomplishments.<ref>; ; ; </ref>
Her own civic activities went hand-in-hand with the goals of the Mokihana Club. She became Secretary-Treasurer of the Kauai Historical Society in 1914, a membership she held until her death.<ref></ref> During [[World War I]], she was chairman of the Kauai Branch of the Women's Committee of the Territorial Food Commission.<ref></ref> Elsie headed the International Institute of the Y. W. C. A. in Honolulu, established in 1919 to help curb the school drop-out ratio among immigrant non-English-speaking girls.<ref></ref> In 1927 she became a director of Bishop Trust Company, retaining that position the rest of her life.<ref></ref>
==Political office==
She was appointed chairman of the Kauai Board of Child Welfare in 1920. That same year, territorial governor [[Charles J. McCarthy]] appointed her to fill a vacancy on the Board of Commissioners of Public Instruction from Kauai. She strongly objected to the 1932 resolution for reduction of hundreds of teaching jobs, joined in the opposition only by superintendent of instruction Will C. Crawford.<ref>; ; ; </ref> Shortly after its passage, she ran on the [[Hawaii Republican Party|Republican]] ticket for Territory of Hawaii senator from Kauai. In newspaper coverage of her candidacy, her focus on education and community involvement was noted, as was her concern for world peace.<ref></ref>
Her November election victory gave her the distinction of being the first woman elected to the Senate of the Territory of Hawaii. Committee assignments for her during her first term were Judiciary, Education, Health, Public Lands and one of the "Chairmen of special committees of the senate".<ref>; </ref> She was re-elected ini 1934, and served on the Judiciary, Education and Rules committees.<ref>; </ref> Her 1936 and 1938 re-elections allowed her to introduce legislation to equalize the pay standard for teachers, and help push the amended version through the legislature.<ref>; ; }</ref>
Her 1940 re-election bid resulted in a primary defeat.<ref></ref>
==Later years==
During [[World War II]], she became Kauai branch chairman of the [[United Service Organizations]].<ref></ref> After the war, Governor [[Oren E. Long]] appointed her to the territorial commission on historical sites. She then became ex-officio chairman of the Kauai County advisory committee of historical sites.<ref>; </ref> She also supported the Women's Board of Missions as extension chairman of Kauai .<ref></ref>
Sisters Mabel, Lucy and Elsie restored the old [[Waioli Mission District|Waioli Mission House]] in 1921. After Lucy's death in 1933, Mabel and Elsie became the sole owners and opened it to the public as a museum.<ref></ref>
For the remainder of her life, Elsie continued to hold membership and positions in a number of civic and political organizations.<ref ></ref> After prolonged health issues, Elsie Wilcox died on June 30, 1954. Although she spent her life as a pubic personality, her last wishes were a funeral attended only by her family.<ref>; ; </ref>
==References==
== Sources ==
*
*Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)
*Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)
==External links==
*
[[Category:1879 births]]
[[Category:1954 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Kauai]]
[[Category:People of the Territory of Hawaii]]
[[Category:Kingdom of Hawaii people]]
May 21, 2018 at 12:39AM
