Susan B. Anthony II facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susan B. Anthony II
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Anthony in 1949
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| Born |
Susan Brownell Anthony II
July 26, 1916 Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | July 8, 1991 (aged 74) Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Susan Lewis, Susan McAvoy |
| Citizenship | United States United Kingdom |
| Alma mater | University of Rochester (BA) American University (MA) Saint Mary's College (PhD) |
| Occupation | writer, journalist, educator, counselor, activist |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Henry Hill Collins, Jr.
(m. 1940; div. 1948)Clifford Thomas McAvoy
(m. 1949; div. 1951)Aubrey John Lewis
(m. 1954; div. 1960) |
| Relatives | Susan B. Anthony (great-aunt) Daniel Read Anthony (great-uncle) |
Susan Brownell Anthony II (born July 26, 1916 – died July 8, 1991) was an American journalist, writer, and activist. She was also a counselor and educator. She grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of Rochester in 1938.
During her time in school, she became very active in causes that aimed to make society better. She supported peace, fought against fascism, and worked for equal housing rights for all people. Susan also championed women's rights. This included trying to remove the poll tax, which made it harder for women to vote. She also supported creating childcare centers for mothers who worked.
In the 1940s, Anthony started writing books about issues important to women. She also hosted a radio show for women in New York City. In the early 1950s, she moved to Florida and worked as a journalist. Because of her support for liberal causes, she was investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee. To avoid testifying, she became a British citizen. She lived in Jamaica for a while, working as a journalist there.
When she tried to move back to the United States in 1960, officials said she had given up her US citizenship. After a nine-year fight, her citizenship was given back. During this time, she earned a PhD in theology and started teaching in Florida. She traveled across the US, giving talks about women's rights. In 1975, she helped start the Wayside House in Delray Beach, Florida. She kept writing books, including her life story, into the 1980s. Anthony passed away in 1991.
Contents
Early Life and Activism
Susan Brownell Anthony II was born on July 26, 1916, in Easton, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Charlotte and Luther Burt Anthony. Her father was a drama coach and writer. Her mother, who was from Jamaica, was also a writer and lecturer. Susan's great-aunt was the famous suffragist Susan B. Anthony.
Susan grew up in Easton and spent summers at her family's cottage. In 1938, she graduated with high honors from the University of Rochester. She studied political science on a scholarship named after her great-aunt.
While at university, she became very involved in social causes. She worked for racial justice and fought against poverty. She also joined the peace movement. She pushed for the US to help the Spanish Republic fight against fascism. Susan also joined the National Negro Congress. This group worked for civil rights for Black people.
Career Highlights
Journalism and Women's Issues (1938–1948)
Susan Anthony started her career in 1938 in Washington, D.C.. She worked for the National Youth Administration. The next year, she joined The Washington Star newspaper. She also wrote articles about migrants and women for other newspapers.
In 1940, she married Henry Hill Collins, Jr. He was an economist. That year, she read a book called In Women's Defense. This book deeply affected her. It made her even more determined to work on women's issues. In 1941, she earned a master's degree in political science.
In 1942, she spoke at hearings about a bill to end poll taxes. These taxes made it harder for many people, especially women, to vote. She supported the women's poll tax repeal movement. Even though the bill didn't pass, she kept speaking out against these unfair voting laws.
In 1943, Anthony published her first book, Out of the Kitchen—Into the War. She left The Washington Star in 1944. She then worked at the Washington Navy Yard. She also wrote an article about her experience there.
In 1944, the Ladies' Home Journal hired her. She researched the lives of women as homemakers and workers. Her ideas about women's rights were very modern. She believed that different types of unfairness, like those based on social class, skin color, and race, were all connected. She thought that keeping women only in the home limited their potential. She encouraged women to work outside the home.
In 1946, Anthony moved to New York City. She hosted a radio show called "This Woman's World." The show aimed to inspire housewives to explore activities outside the home. This was a new and sometimes debated idea at the time.
Anthony also helped start the Congress of American Women in 1946. This group supported women's full rights and equality. They worked for fair labor practices and civil rights. They also opposed attacks on liberal thinkers. Anthony believed that fighting racism and sexism were similar struggles. She represented the Congress at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 1948.
Facing Challenges and New Paths (1948–1960)
Anthony and Collins divorced in 1948. In 1949, she married Clifford Thomas McAvoy. They moved to Boston. In 1951, she divorced McAvoy and moved to Florida. She took a job at the Key West Citizen newspaper.
Starting in 1949, Anthony was investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee. This was because she knew people suspected of being communist sympathizers. By 1953, these investigations led to her being banned from a military base. She met with the FBI. She told them about her work for peace, her support for Spanish loyalists, and her efforts for equal housing and childcare for working mothers. She stated she was never a communist.
In 1954, she married Aubrey John Lewis, a British plantation owner in Jamaica. She moved to the island and worked as a reporter for The Gleaner. In December, she was called to testify before the Un-American Activities Committee again. To avoid this, she became a British citizen. Her lawyers told her this would not affect her US citizenship.
However, when she divorced Lewis in 1960 and tried to return to the US, she was told she had given up her US citizenship. She was threatened with deportation. This began a nine-year legal battle to get her American citizenship back.
Restoring Citizenship and Continued Advocacy (1960–1987)
While fighting for her citizenship, Anthony became a member of the Catholic Church. She studied theology at Saint Mary's College (Indiana). In 1965, she earned a PhD. She was one of the first Catholic women who were not nuns to get a theology degree.
After graduating, Anthony moved to Boca Raton, Florida. She taught theology at Marymount College from 1965 to 1969. She supported the Women's Liberation Movement. Because of her legal situation, she focused on giving lectures about women's rights.
Once her citizenship was restored, she traveled the country. She spoke about women's rights and the power of faith. In 1971, she published her autobiography, The Ghost in My Life. This book described how she came to terms with her great-aunt's legacy. It also showed her journey to find her own identity.
In 1973, she became a counselor at a mental health center. Two years later, she helped start the Wayside House. This was a residential support center for women facing difficult challenges.
In 1976, she tried to join a convent, but decided it wasn't for her. She was invited to the 1977 National Women's Conference. She also supported the Equal Rights Amendment. She was an early member of a group called Catholics Act for ERA. This group worked to get the amendment approved.
In 1979, she was invited to the White House. First Lady Rosalynn Carter hosted a reception for the new Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. Anthony continued to give lectures throughout the 1980s. She also took part in the Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice in 1983.
Death and Legacy
Susan B. Anthony II passed away from bone cancer on July 8, 1991, in Boca Raton, Florida.
Susan and other women activists of her time helped create the foundation for the strong women's rights movement that emerged in the 1960s. Their ideas were sometimes overlooked due to the political climate of the 1940s and 1950s. These activists often avoided calling themselves "feminists" or "communists."
They worked to expand ideas about women's challenges. They argued that unfair treatment based on gender made it very hard for women to change society and the economy. Her personal papers are now kept at the University of Rochester Libraries.
