Lucy Browne Johnston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucy Browne Johnston
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| Born |
Lucy Browne
April 7, 1846 Camden, Ohio, U.S.
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| Died | February 17, 1937 (aged 90) Topeka, Kansas, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Western Female Seminary |
| Spouse(s) |
William Agnew Johnston
(m. 1875) |
Lucy Browne Johnston (born April 7, 1846 – died February 17, 1937) was an important American woman. She worked to make society better and fought for women's rights. Lucy was a strong supporter of women's suffrage, which means the right for women to vote.
She was also involved in other big movements. These included Prohibition, which was about banning alcohol. She also helped improve education for women and started traveling libraries. These libraries brought books to people in different places.
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Early Life and Education
Lucy Browne Johnston was born on April 7, 1846. Her parents, Robert and Margaret Browne, lived on a farm in Camden, Ohio. Lucy grew up in Camden and went to grade school there.
When Lucy was a child, Camden did not have a public library. One day, she found a shelf of books meant for the public school in her doctor's office. This discovery inspired her later in life to help create traveling libraries. She wanted everyone to have access to books.
Higher Education and Marriage
After finishing grade school, Lucy left Camden. She went to the Western Female Seminary in Oxford, Ohio. She graduated in 1866.
After college, Lucy returned to Camden. She taught at a grade school for four years. In 1875, she married William Agnew Johnston. He was a lawyer from Canada. William was elected to the Kansas Legislature. Later, he became a Justice for the Kansas Supreme Court.
Lucy and William moved to Kansas after they married. They had two children, a daughter named Margaret and a son named John.
Working for Change
Lucy Browne Johnston was very active in many clubs and groups. She served on the boards of several important organizations. These included the Library Extension Committee of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. She also worked with the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association.
Fighting for Women's Vote
Lucy was the president of the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association. Her hard work helped Kansas pass the Equal Suffrage Amendment. This amendment gave women in Kansas the right to vote. Kansas approved it in 1912.
It took several more years for women across the entire United States to get the right to vote. This finally happened in 1920 with the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Bringing Books to People
As chair of the Library Extension Committee, Lucy helped expand the Kansas Traveling Library. She was in charge of reviewing applications. People or clubs would apply to receive a traveling library.
Many people sent letters to Lucy with their applications. They explained why they needed books. They also shared what kinds of books they wanted to read.
Lucy was also part of a committee for the Kansas Social Science Federation. This group asked the Kansas legislature to create a Traveling Libraries Commission. This commission would be part of the Kansas state library.
After some effort, a law was passed in 1899. It officially created the Traveling Libraries Commission. Lucy served as a member of this commission. The commission continued her mission to provide books to reading clubs all over Kansas.
Later Life and Death
Lucy's husband, William, passed away in January 1937. Lucy Browne Johnston died one month later. She passed away on February 17, 1937, at her home in Topeka, Kansas. She had been ill for two years.
