Mabel Craft Deering facts for kids
Mabel Craft Deering (born Mabel Clare Craft, 1873–1953) was an important woman from the San Francisco Bay Area. She was a journalist and a socialite, meaning she was well-known in society. Mabel strongly supported important causes like women's suffrage, which was the fight for women to have the right to vote. She also believed that Black women should be allowed to join national women's organizations. When she was a student at the University of California, she even protested because a top award was given to a man instead of her, even though she had better grades. She was also the first woman to edit a national Sunday magazine.
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Early Life and Education
Mabel Clare Craft was born on November 5, 1873, in Rochelle, Illinois. Her father became a successful grocer in East Oakland, California.
Mabel's School Days
Mabel went to public schools in Oakland, California. At Oakland High School, she was very active. She helped with the school's publishing company, leading the "ladies' department." She was also the president of the Girls' Debating Society. In June 1888, she graduated as the top student, known as the valedictorian.
University Challenges
Mabel graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, on June 29, 1892. She gave a speech about "The Economic Position of Women."
That year, she faced a big challenge. She was supposed to receive a gold medal. This medal was a special award for the student with the highest grades. But the university offered it to a male student, Joseph Baldwin Garber, instead. He refused it, saying it created "invidious distinctions."
Mabel said her average grade was slightly higher than his. She also pointed out that the university seemed to change how they calculated grades. They added military science grades for the male student from his whole college time. She said this had never been done before.
Mabel tried to appeal to the university's Board of Regents. She was told that the acting president, Martin Kellogg, said the award was given to the young man because he was a "more distinguished scholar," not because of military work.
President Kellogg later said that the faculty didn't have to follow exact grades. He felt they should consider a student's overall impression. He also said he was sure there was no prejudice against Mabel because she was a woman. If she had won, Mabel would have been the first woman to receive this gold medal.
After Berkeley, Mabel went to Hastings College of Law in August 1892. She was elected vice president of her class. She later earned her law degree.
Mabel's Career as a Journalist
Mabel Craft worked for ten years as a writer and editor at the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. For three of those years, she was the editor of the Sunday magazine. This made her the first woman in the entire country to hold such an important position.
Writing for Magazines
Mabel also wrote articles and stories for many different magazines. Some of these included Atlantic Monthly, St. Nicholas Magazine, Everybody's, Munsey's, Leslie's Weekly, Sunset, and Good Housekeeping.
In 1898, she traveled to Hawaii with a group of Congress members. Hawaii had just become part of the United States. She wrote a book about the islands called Hawaii Nei. One reviewer said she was a "royalist" who criticized the Republic of Hawaii. She later remembered that her book was banned from the Honolulu library. A local newspaper said it was because "she panned the missionaries."
In 1899, a San Francisco publication called Town Talks praised her writing. They said she was one of the best descriptive writers in the area. They believed her work ended any debate about who was the best all-around newspaper writer in San Francisco.
In 1902, The Anaconda Standard newspaper in Montana mentioned her success. They said Mabel "made a hit" when she led the story about California volunteers returning from the Philippines. She had eight reporters and three artists working under her direction.
Mabel's Activities and Causes
Mabel Craft Deering was very active in important social causes.
Supporting Women's Clubs
In 1901, Mabel was involved in a campaign to allow Black women's organizations to join the National Federation of Women's Clubs. The San Francisco Examiner reported that Mabel strongly argued for "social equality of colored women."
In another debate, she said that if women's clubs truly wanted to serve others, they should help Black women. She believed that admitting Black women would make the Federation stronger and more just. She urged women to be broad-minded and not narrow or exclusive.
The next year, Mabel appeared before another group, the California Club. The San Francisco Examiner said she "did a little politics." Because of her efforts, the club voted to allow Black women's clubs to join. This caused some trouble within the club.
In 1902, Mabel was suggested as a candidate for president of the National Federation. She said she didn't know about it beforehand. She turned down the idea in a letter to another candidate.
Fighting for Women's Right to Vote
In 1896, Mabel was the treasurer of the Fifth Ward Political Equality Club. This group was made up of women suffragists who wanted women to have the right to vote. In April of that year, she collected signatures in Oakland. She wanted to support a petition that would give California women the right to vote.
By 1903, Mabel and her husband, Frank P. Deering, became lifetime members of the National American Women Suffrage Association.
In 1910, Mabel became an editor for the Woman's Journal, a publication focused on women's rights. She took the place of a famous writer, Mrs. Julia Ward Howe.
In 1911, she was a director of the College Women's Franchise League. She also chaired the California state press committee. In 1913, a Canadian newspaper reported that Mabel deserved much credit for women winning the right to vote in California in 1911. They said it was doubtful that women's suffrage would have gotten many votes without her educational work.
Marriage and Family Life
Mabel Craft married Frank P. Deering on November 22, 1902, in East Oakland. A newspaper article noted that she walked down the aisle with her father. About 170 guests attended the wedding.
An Oakland Tribune writer described her unique wedding outfit. Instead of a traditional veil, she wore a "stunning hat" with white tulle and an ostrich feather.
Between 1906 and 1939, Mabel and Frank lived in Russian Hill, San Francisco. They had one daughter named Francesca.
Frank Prentiss Deering passed away on May 19, 1939.
Four years later, Mabel moved to a new house. For one of her social events, she invited a dozen "attractive and eligible bachelors" from San Francisco to greet her guests. They all accepted her invitation.
Death
Mabel Craft Deering died at the age of 80 on July 8, 1953. She passed away in her home in San Francisco.
