Lillian Feickert facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lillian Feickert
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circa 1912–1913
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| Born |
Lillian Ford
July 20, 1877 |
| Died | January 21, 1945 (aged 67) New York City, US
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| Resting place | Fresh Pond, New York |
| Known for | First woman from New Jersey to run for United States Senate |
| Spouse(s) | Edward Foster Feickert (1902–1925) |
| Children | 1 |
Lillian Ford Feickert (born July 20, 1877 – died January 21, 1945) was an important American leader. She worked hard to get women the right to vote. She was also a political organizer in New Jersey. Lillian was the first woman from New Jersey to ever run for the United States Senate.
She led the New Jersey Woman Suffrage Association for many years. Later, she helped start the New Jersey League of Women Voters. She also became a top leader in the New Jersey Republican State Committee.
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Early Life and Family
Lillian Ford was born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 20, 1877. Her father, Herbert L. Ford, was a lawyer. Her mother, Emeline Margaretta Ford, stayed at home. Lillian had three brothers and sisters.
In 1902, Lillian married Edward Foster Feickert. They had one child, who sadly died very young. After they got married, they moved to Plainfield, New Jersey. Edward worked at the Plainfield Trust Company. In 1908, they moved to North Plainfield, New Jersey.
Fighting for Women's Rights
After moving to North Plainfield, Lillian became very passionate about women's rights. She joined the women's suffrage movement. This movement worked to give women the right to vote. She also became a leader in her local church.
Lillian joined several groups that supported women's rights. These included the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. She also became a member of the New Jersey Woman Suffrage Association.
Leading the Suffrage Movement
In 1910, Lillian was asked to help the New Jersey Woman Suffrage Association. She worked to get more people to join. She went door-to-door and held rallies. In just two years, she made the group four times bigger!
Because of her hard work, Lillian was elected president of the association in 1912. For the next eight years, she became an even stronger leader. She grew the group to over 120,000 members. Lillian led the fight for women to vote in New Jersey.
In 1915, a plan to let women vote in New Jersey did not pass. But Lillian worked even harder. She helped lead efforts to pass a national law. This law would give women across the country the right to vote. Finally, on February 10, 1920, the law was passed in New Jersey.
A Leader in Politics
After women won the right to vote, Lillian's political skills were noticed. In 1920, the New Jersey State Republican Party made her a vice-chairman. Her job was to organize Republican women in New Jersey.
At the same time, she also became the treasurer of the New Jersey League of Women Voters. However, she left this role about a year later. She had different ideas about where the group should go.
Lillian then focused on the New Jersey Women's Republican Club. She was the president of this club. With support from the Republican Party, the club grew very large. It had up to 100,000 members.
Running for Senate
Lillian strongly supported a time in history called Prohibition. This was a period when certain things were made illegal. Because of her strong beliefs, the Republican party stopped supporting her club in 1925. She was also not re-elected as vice-chairman.
The New Jersey Women's Republican Club slowly broke apart. A new club took its place later. In 1928, Lillian ran for the United States Senate. She ran as a candidate who supported Prohibition. She did not win the election.
After her election loss and the end of Prohibition, Lillian stepped away from politics. She had divorced her husband in 1925. She spent her later years working on her home, reading, and traveling. Lillian Feickert passed away in New York City on January 21, 1945.
