Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1894 — A PROGRESSIVE WOMAN. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A PROGRESSIVE WOMAN.

Mrs. May Wright Sewall a Leader in the National Council oi /omen. The International Council of Women, which is to convene in Washington next February, bids fair to be the most interesting of the series. Among the foreign ladies who have promised to take part are the Countess of Aberdeen, now president of the council; Florence Fenwick Miller, Lady Henry Somerset, Mrs. Agnes McLaren aad Mrs. Ormiston Chant. It may be said in a general way that this is a federation of all the bodies which work for the elevation of women throughout the world, and therefore all woman’s work and all woman’s needs are properly the subject of its action. The National Council of the United States, of which Mrs. May Wright Sewall is president, she being also vice-president of the international body, besides its general work, makes a specialty of four subjects, each of which is attended to by a special committee. Its present aim is to secure d law abolishing ithe distinction between the pay for men and women in all Government offices, thus establishing a precedent, which the ladies think will be potent with individual employes. Another committee is working for reform in

the divorce laws of the various States, while another concerns itself with dress reform. Mrs."Sewall was born in Milwaukee, a descendant of one of the oldest New England families, was graduated in 18G6 from the Northwestern University at Evanston, 111., and after teaching a few years, married Edwin W. Thompson, of Paw Paw, Mich. He died in 1875. and in 1880 she married Theodore L.. Sewall, of Indianapolis. Mrs. Sewall has since resided in that city, where she has a large training school for girls, but her work has for several years had a national scope. She is equally able as speaker, writer and organizer, and has been president of several bodies. Governor Hove.v appointed her a member of the Indiana Board of Commissioners at the Chicago WorTd r s Pair, and there she presided over the Woman’s Congress.

MRS. MAY WRIGHT SEWALL.