Catharine Waugh McCulloch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Catharine Waugh McCulloch
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Catharine Waugh McCulloch
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| Born |
Catharine Gouger Waugh
June 4, 1862 New York state
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| Died | April 20, 1945 (aged 82) |
| Alma mater | Rockford Female Seminary Union College of Law |
| Occupation | Attorney, Suffragist |
| Spouse(s) |
Frank Hawthorn McCulloch
(m. 1890) |
Catharine Gouger Waugh McCulloch (born June 4, 1862 – died April 20, 1945) was an American lawyer, a leader for women's right to vote, and a reformer. She worked hard to help women gain the right to vote at local, state, and national levels. She was a key leader in groups like the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association and the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Catharine McCulloch was also the first woman ever elected as a Justice of the Peace in Illinois.
Early Life and Learning
Catharine Waugh was born in New York State. Her parents were Susan Gouger and Abraham Miller Waugh. She grew up in Illinois.
She graduated from Rockford Female Seminary in 1882. There, she wrote a special paper about how much women were paid for their work. She earned two degrees, a B.A. and an M.A. After that, Catharine went to Union College of Law in Chicago. This school is now called Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
After finishing law school and passing her exams in 1886, Catharine tried to find a job in Chicago. But she faced challenges because she was a woman. So, she went back to Rockford, Illinois, and started her own law office.
Marriage and Family Life
In 1890, Catharine Waugh married Frank Hawthorn McCulloch. He was a classmate from her law school. They moved to Chicago and combined their law offices. Their new firm was called McCulloch and McCulloch.
Catharine wanted her marriage to be equal for both partners. She believed her marriage helped her career. She and Frank had four children: Hugh Waugh, Hathorn Waugh, Catharine Waugh, and Frank Waugh.
Her Work and Achievements
Catharine McCulloch was part of the Equity Club. This was a group started in 1887 for women lawyers to support each other. In 1888, she ran for state's attorney but did not win.
In 1890, McCulloch became the legislative chair for the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association. This group worked for women's right to vote. In 1891, a law allowed women to vote in school district elections. After this, Catharine worked on a new bill. This bill would let women vote in local and presidential elections in Illinois.
From 1893 to 1913, Catharine and her group worked hard for this bill. They even organized train and car tours to gather support across the state. Catharine used public events and publications to get people involved. This was a common way for activists during the Progressive Era to push for changes.
In 1894, McCulloch and others from the Chicago Woman's Club started the Chicago Political Equity League. This group campaigned for women to vote in city elections. Besides working for voting rights, Catharine also supported laws that helped mothers and children. For example, in 1901, she helped pass a law. This law gave mothers equal rights with their husbands over their children. In 1905, she helped raise the age at which girls could legally agree to certain things, from 14 to 16 years old.
In 1907, McCulloch was elected Justice of the Peace in Evanston, Illinois. She was re-elected in 1909. This made her the first woman to hold this job in Illinois. As a Justice of the Peace, she became famous for performing marriage ceremonies. She left out the word "obey" from the part the woman was supposed to say. At that time, men promised to "love, honor and cherish," but women promised to "love, honor and obey."
In 1917, she was appointed to a special court role in Cook County. She was known for working to change or remove marriage and divorce laws that were unfair to women. She also worked to make these laws similar across all states.
She was a legal advisor for the National American Woman Suffrage Association. This group later became the League of Women Voters in 1920. This happened after the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. She was also the first vice president of this group. Catharine also served as a legal advisor for the National Women's Christian Temperance Union.
Catharine McCulloch passed away in 1945 at age 82. A park in Evanston, Illinois, is named Catharine W. McCulloch Park in her honor.
