Alongside her husband and son. The humanist association of the greater sacramento area hosted this event. It is about an hour. Todays speaker asked me if i could give her only a brief introduction. Her subject is belle la follette who lived a very full life from 18591931. In doing the research for her new book, nancy discovered the work of previous historians have drastically underestimated this great humanist. She discovered the surprising truths about the radical reformer who was denounced by some as disgraceful to the white race. What . Disgraceful . She fought for votes for women, she fought for peace, she fought for civil rights. The New York Times hailed her as the least known but the most influential american women who had to do with Public Affairs in this country. Professor nancy unger will help us know belle la follette for who she really is. Nancy . [applause] ms. Unger hello. Thank you for that lovely introduction. I have given talks to the humanist community of Silicon Valley and they are one of my favorite audiences because they stay awake and they ask great questions. I have been looking forward to this talk. I want to thank you for inviting me to the humanist association of the greater sacramento area. I want to thank bill potts for his heroic efforts to publicize this talk and to make me feel welcome. I have written this brandnew biography of belle la follette and i am dying to talk with you about it about her as a representative of the many women who contributed significantly to american politics, even long before women have the vote. Hillary clinton may well be the first female president and if she is, she will deserve the credit for it. But as clinton herself acknowledges, it took a lot of work by previous women and some men to make the case that women are capable of political leadership, even at the highest level. Belle la follette was one of those women and as we look forward to the 2016 election, we have a lot to learn from this great american. And not only about politics. Lesson one do not make the mistake of underestimating a woman just because she was first known as a political wife. The New York Times eulogized belle la follette in 1931 as perhaps the most influential of all american women who have had to do with Public Affairs in this country. She faded quickly from popular memory. When she is recalled, it is in relation to her husband and son. I contributed to this approach in my biography of her husband. In my own defense, he started it. [laughter] this minimization of his wifes accomplishments began with this progressive reform giant calling her my wisest and best counselor. He openly differed to her judgment. As district attorney, three term congressman, threeterm governor of wisconsin, and during his 19 years in the u. S. Senate. According to their soninlaw, george middleton, except john adams with his abigail, no man in public life was to have so equal a mate. Books, articles, essays, a short film, and plays all hail belle la follette as the little woman behind the great man and only a few go so far as to recognize her as an important reformer in her own right. And no account until now reveals the depth and range of her interests, ambition, activism, and the contributions she made to meaningful progressive reform. Lesson two dont believe everything you read or hear. Upon her death in 1931, newspapers across the nation hailed belle la follette for her selflessness, her willingness to remain out of the public eye. She had a masculine mind, was one backhanded accolade. It is like the old compliment you do not sweat much for a fat girl. Hers is an interesting career for those women of necessity must remain in the background. Famed journalist, Lincoln Steffens, painted her as a selfsacrificing woman who surrendered her own ambition. She could act, but she was content to beget actions. She played herself, the womans part. She sat in the gallery, or home with the children. She did not often make the speeches or do the deeds. Although this assessment came to dominate historical record, in reality, belle la follette exhibited considerable political leadership. She and her husband Work Together to promote the many progressive goals they shared, she was far from being merely his assistant. She held no elected office and could not even cast a ballot until she was 61 years old. Yet she overcame her natural shyness to wield tremendous influence as a journalist and public speaker. Activities she took on not only out of idealism, but because her family needed the money. All those who join Lincoln Steffens as identifying her as the victorious mother did her a grave disservice. She did make the speeches and do the deeds and the nation improved because she did. Lesson three dont buy into tired ideas about gender or anything else. In 1859, she grew up in the Farming Community in wisconsin. In her experience, men and women were both so indispensable to the success of farm life that few couples quibbled over whose work was more important. Such a perspective was consistent with her familys religious views. Womens judgment place them on an equal footing with men. When her mother heard Anna Howard Shaw lecture at the familys church promoting the womens right to vote, she was captivated by the words of this pioneering minister and physician. She later told her daughter she felt quite indignant that women did not have the same rights as men and belles brother agreed. Lesson number four be fearless and challenge authority. She refused to accept the deferential role assigned to girls. A friend recalled that she recently discomfited her teachers by questioning and challenging things that were taught and accepted and was fearless in insisting on things being understood and things being worthwhile before accepting them. Her years as a student at the university of wisconsin fueled her fearlessness. One professor recalled, ms. Case, with her readiness to pay the price in hard work, profited to the full by the universitys opportunities. Lesson five remain your own person. Her classmate bob la follette pursued her avidly. It was at her insistence that their engagement remain a secret. Only after she completed two years of teaching that she marry bob on new years eve in 1881 in a ceremony conducted by a unitarian minister who honored the brides request that the word obey be omitted from the marriage vows. Lesson six stop wasting your time. Eight months and 10 days after their wedding, belle gave birth to the first of their four children. Although belle la follette said, the supreme experience in life is motherhood. She also said, there is no inherent conflict in a mothers taking good care of her children, developing her own talent, and continuing to work. Even when her children were small, she refused to waste her time on the activities that most people assumed should take up the day of a middleclass wife and mother. What custom could be more barbarous than a 10 course dinner . She advocated fewer courses, less work. Lesson seven stop apologizing for not wasting your time. Belle la follette rejected the expectation that women would cling to outmoded conventions at the same time men flocked to new conveniences that made their lives easier and more efficient. As the telephone came into popular use, she found it absurd that women were criticized as both lazy and extravagant for phoning in their grocery orders while men were praised for their efficiency in transacting business over the phone. Why is it that those who are most deeply convinced that womens place is in the home are most concerned when women stay at home and telephone for supplies instead of going to the market . Women apologize for a typewritten personal letter as though it were an offense even though the deciphering of their handwriting is the most nerveracking process. To those who bemoaned the loss of womens personal touch, she responded in favor of preserving womens time, health, and energy. Many precious associations with the homemade and the handmade have necessarily been sacrificed for the greater gain. Lesson eight be comfortable and guard your health. Belle la follette defied convention by abandoning corsets for more looser fitting garments and urged other women to do the same. She noted, the man who said women ought not to vote as long as they cannot fasten their own gowns made the best antisuffrage argument i have ever heard. It is humiliating that we submit to the tyrannies of dress as we do. She reserved special scorn unrealistic bodily ideals. She strove not to obsess about her weight, but to focus on remaining fit. This is the cover of the Current Issue and that is belle la follette briskly walking with the family bulldog. I found the original image on ebay for five dollars. In 1912, she still ran three miles before breakfast every day. In 1914, at the age of 55, the Washington Post celebrating her scaling of a 12,000 foot volcano in costa rica. Lesson nine involve yourself in the larger world. Her belief in the growing desire of women of leisure to employ themselves worthily and to share in the work of the world was reinforced in 1911 by the publication of woman and labor. She viewed it as an epic poem, majestic, powerful, and thrilling. Her demands that women be allowed equal opportunity and useful occupation. Early in their marriage, she so enjoyed helping bob with his legal studies that she took up the law course as well, becoming the first woman to graduate from the university of Wisconsin Law school. See if you can pick her out. [laughter] she seems to be the only one who actually earned a diploma. A passion that was not shared by the young couple was life in the nations capital. Once bob was elected to congress in 1888, what do washington women talk about . She complained about the weather. An exceeding graciousness and desire to please pervades every function. She reminded her sisters, we are not supposed to belong to the butterfly and parasitic class. She urged all women to recognize that problems they thought of as personal work political and required womens political activism. How much we pay for food and clothing is determined by control of the Natural Resources. The distribution of tax and the regulation of the great private monopolies. These are womens problems. Belle la follette strenuously opposed her husbands plans to begin a magazine. She devoted herself to making the magazine a meaningful voice of progressivism. That magazine is published today. In an article entitled foolishness, she railed against the narrow range of superficial topics others deemed suitable for womens readers. Lets fool these men publishers and put our time on the world events. Belle la follette introduced, expanded, celebrated, and promoted progressive reform. Women readers responded with gratitude and other journalists celebrated her innovative approach. One of the cleverest and most readable womens pages in the country is edited by belle la follette. She is probably the first editor of the Womens Department to go on strike against the conventional formulas for hair dye and accepted recipes for beauty. La follette is always independent and fearless in her expression of opinion. In 1911, the north American Press syndicate engaged her to provide articles for syndication. Lesson 11 fight for what is right, even if it violates tradition. In addition to the standard slate of progressive goals, including labor protection, Natural Resource conservation, and tax reform, belle la follette advocated a wide range of less conventional innovation. She supported the right of a woman not to take her husbands name upon marriage. She promoted the Montessori School of education, opposed Corporal Punishment for children, and supported sex education. She saved special ire for capital punishment, which she termed a survival of barbarism. She also, according to youngest child, became an agnostic. They did not attend church, which was quite unusual for a u. S. Senator and his family. To protect her husbands reputation, however, in this one area, she bent the truth. Bob delighted in telling family friends, they asked which church they attended. She told them we attended the congregational church. It is technically not a lie. Belle la follette advocated cleaner Railroad Cars and depots and schedules designed to shorten layovers. She proposed postponing president ial inaugural ceremonies until april. In 1912, she wrote, must we go on forever suffering the inconveniences just because they were written into the constitution over 100 years ago . She saw womens lack of political experience as working to their favor. Lesson 12 meaningful change almost always requires persistence. In 1930, the National League of women voters honored 71 women, including la follette. When her name was inscribed on a bronze tablet housed in the national headquarters, la follette protested that she did not deserve such an honor. Her contemporary alys paul called la follette the most consistent supporter of equal rights of all of the women of her time. During a 12day tour, she gave 31 speeches in 14 different counties. Lesson 13 be able to compellingly articulate your political goals. La follette marched in the great suffrage parade in new york city in 1912. Less than a year later, she testified before the u. S. Senate committee on womens suffrage that granting women the vote was a simple matter of common sense. Ours is a government for the people, by the people. Are not women people . She gave a remarkable enforceable address and the audience hung upon her word. Congress, however, did not grant women the vote. Early in the first term of the Wilson Administration, belle la follette was a member of a contingent of suffrage advocates that met with the president. Wilson listened respectively, but they were hurried out of the white house after 10 minutes. La follette took her case back to the american people. She spoke for 63 consecutive days in july and august of 1914 in pennsylvania, ohio, indiana, and michigan. The Senate Finally approved the suffrage amendment on june 4, 1919, with la follette observing from the visitors gallery. Bob la follette confided to his children that wisconsin beat him to it. As soon as the telegram of confirmation was received, reported bob, i went on the floor and i read it into the congressional record. Lesson 15, black lives matter. Belle la follette was acknowledged within the Africanamerican Community nationwide, but especially in washington, d. C. , as a dedicated and fearless leader in the fight for racial equality. Beginning in 1913, she wrote a series of articles decrying the efforts of the Wilson Administration to racially segregate federal services. She urged action her washington female readers, were visiting her off repeated assertions that privileged wives were not supposed to belong to the butterfly and parasitic class. La follette denounced the injustice in violation of democratic principles imposed by the new orders. She skewered the hypocrisy of whites who supported segregation. It seems strange, she observed caustically, that the very ones who consider it a hardship to sit next to a colored person in a streetcar in trust their children to colored servants and eat food prepared by colored hands. In 1914, she spoke to the colored ymca on 12th street in washington. It was an electrifying event. Wild cheering by the 1000 people present interrupted her speech many times. According to the Washington Post, in a frontpage story headlined she defends negroes, wife of senator la follette denounces segregation. La follette advised negroes to keep up their fight and said there would be no constitution of peace until the question is settled and settled in the right way. An ovation of several minutes followed her remarks. An africanamerican woman noted the tremendous effect on all who heard your stirring speech. It is the topic overshadows all of the others. She concluded her message, may god continue to bless you. May he continue to lead you and may he continue to give you courage to do and to dare. La follette delivered the same speech to the annual banquet of the naacp in new york city and offered solutions. The race issue should be freely and seriously discussed in private conversations, and the public press, and from the pulpit. The situation does not call for violence, that it demands determination, loyalty, courage, persistence, and altering faith, well directed efforts. Integration was in no way a matter of social privilege. It is a matter of civil right. Lesson 16 opposition can sting, but support is validating. One anonymous writer warned belle la follette that for a white lady to address a negro audience is out of place, adding it does not raise you very much in the estimation of decent white people. A correspondent from tennessee denounced la follette for her idiotic demands. One critic called her disgraceful to the white race. It was signed, a real white person with no black stripes down the back. Her efforts generated support. A white employee of the Government Printing office addressed la follette directly, again, i thank you. The black folks needs you to protect them and the white folk needs you to confront them. One person wrote to la follette with with renewed courage that it occurs at to me that my race has eminently fair white friends that threaten segregation, that just like we did during segregation. I thank you. In 1914, la follette spoke to a predominately black audience in washington, d. C. And when she was introduced by africanamerican activist nannie helen burroughs, there was the discussion of thank god for a white person like you. Lesson 17 promote peace, always. At the same time that she was writing for the family magazine, fighting racism, and campaigning for womens suffrage, la follette took up a new cause, crusading for world peace. La follette widely recognized wars futility and the practical possibilities of binding arbitration. Her impassioned advocacy would bring a rain of enunciation of denunciation but she refused to softpedal her beliefs. La follettes argument was that quote, in the struggle for the balance of power, the idea of war is the only way to settle differences is a survivor of the dark ages. Belle la follette was one of 3000 people togeth