Minerva Kline Brooks facts for kids
Minerva Cozens Kline Brooks (1883 – May 5, 1929) was an important American woman. She strongly supported the women's suffrage movement. This movement worked to give women the right to vote. Minerva was also very active in the arts in Cleveland, Ohio. She helped start the Cleveland Play House in 1915, which is a famous theater. She also taught dance at the Noyes School of Rhythm.
Minerva's Early Life
Minerva Kline Brooks was born in 1883 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents were Virgil P. Kline and Minerva E. Cozens Kline. Minerva's mother passed away when she was young. Her father later married Effie Hinckley Ober. Effie was a real estate investor and helped start an opera company.
Minerva went to Hathaway Brown School. She then graduated from Vassar College in 1903. As a child, Minerva spent her summers in Blue Hill, Maine. Her father and stepmother had created a summer community there. Many important people from Cleveland visited this place.
Supporting Women's Rights
On October 12, 1907, Minerva married a writer named Charles S. Brooks. In 1910, she joined a group in Cleveland called the College Equal Suffrage League. This group worked to get women the right to vote.
Minerva was also a member of other groups that supported women's voting rights. These included the Cleveland Suffrage Association and the Cleveland Suffrage Party. She was very dedicated to this cause.
Arts and Dance
Minerva Brooks loved the arts. She helped create the Cleveland Play House with some friends. This theater is still active today. Minerva even performed in their very first show, which was a puppet show.
In 1916, Minerva and her husband moved to New York City. Later, they returned to Cleveland. There, Minerva taught interpretive dance. She taught at the Cleveland branch of the Noyes School of Rhythm. Interpretive dance is a style where dancers express feelings and stories through movement.
Her Legacy
Minerva and Charles Brooks divorced in 1925. Minerva passed away on May 5, 1929, in Boston. She left a lasting gift to Cleveland. She gave her house on Magnolia Drive to The Music Settlement of Cleveland. This is a music school that is still helping students today.