Overview

"A first-person account from Jessie Haver Butler, a suffragist on the front lines of the women's movement in 1920, with Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt. During her long life devoted to women's rights, Jessie lectured several times alongside George Bernard Shaw, Eleanor Roosevelt, Gloria Steinem and Marlo Thomas. Jessie escaped a childhood of unthinkable tragedies on a Colorado cattle ranch and went on to attend Smith College, which propelled her into the center of the fight for the rights of women. Inspired by meeting Susan B. Anthony at age ten, she later worked side by side with Alice Paul and Carrie Chapman Catt. When women won the right to vote on August 18, 1920, Jessie became the first official woman lobbyist at the Capitol in Washington, D. C. She earlier helped establish the Pulitzer School of Journalism and set the first minimum wage for women. Jessie went on to live in London, where she shared the podium with George Bernard Shaw, attended parties with Emily Pankhurst, influenced Queen Mary, and met her lifelong friend, Lady Astor. Jessie later taught thousands of women the art of public speaking. She wrote ""Time to Speak Up"" and lectured alongside Eleanor Roosevelt, Gloria Steinem, and Marlo Thomas. She spoke out for women's rights throughout her life and well into her nineties. Jessie Haver Butler was an extraordinary woman, who lived her life with a spirit of adventure and open-mindedness. She was a mother, wife, and active community member, and her story weaves these threads together to complete her compelling journey-from cowgirl to Congress."

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9781952508028

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I started my trajectory as a feminist oral historian by interviewing suffragists, including Jessie Haver Butler. Like her, none were particularly modest about their accomplishments, and each had their own unique view of their place in history. To some extent, they were all storytellers, but Jessie was unique among them because she was also a highly accomplished public speaker who took enormous pride in the role she had played in training other women in public speaking. Among other things, this meant that she was often in a public speaking mode in her interviews with me. By contrast, her memoir, so creatively edited by her granddaughter, is often much more lively and conversational. This memoir, with all its accompanying photographs and letters, wonderfully captures the life of a feminist in early to mid-twentieth century, and utterly captivated me. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mila Johansen for her work in bringing us this engaging story. It is a wonderful contribution to our celebration of this 100th year jubilee of the 19th Amendment. - Sherna Berger Gluck

"""I started my trajectory as a feminist oral historian by interviewing suffragists, including Jessie Haver Butler. Like her, none were particularly modest about their accomplishments, and each had their own unique view of their place in history. To some extent, they were all storytellers, but Jessie was unique among them because she was also a highly accomplished public speaker who took enormous pride in the role she had played in training other women in public speaking. Among other things, this meant that she was often in a public speaking mode in her interviews with me. By contrast, her memoir, so creatively edited by her granddaughter, is often much more lively and conversational. This memoir, with all its accompanying photographs and letters, wonderfully captures the life of a feminist in early to mid-twentieth century, and utterly captivated me. We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Mila Johansen for her work in bringing us this engaging story. It is a wonderful contribution to our celebration of this 100th year jubilee of the 19th Amendment."" - Sherna Berger Gluck"

Author Information

Jessie Haver Butler was born in 1886 in Pueblo, Colorado. Her father was one of the first cattlemen in the state. When Jessie was ten years old, a series of unthinkable tragedies struck. Her mother died of food poisoning, and Jessie was expected to perform all domestic duties and supervise the ranch workers. In high school, a teacher helped Jessie get into Smith College, in Northampton, Massachusetts, which propelled her into the middle of the suffrage movement. Jessie's first job, in 1909, was with the Macmillan Publishing Company in New York City where she attended lectures by Margaret Sanger and Mrs. Pankhurst. Next, Jessie helped organize the Pulitzer School of Journalism at Columbia University with Professor Cunliffe. Jessie then became a statistician and investigator for the Massachusetts State Minimum Wage Commission, which changed the wage from $4.00 to $8.00 per week. Jessie then moved to Washington D.C., where she became one of the first women lobbyists at the United States Capitol. She represented the Consumers League of Washington, and worked hard to get a minimum wage guarantee for all women. Jessie was one of the major players in the Equal Rights Amendment and the minimum wage law for women. Alice Paul, an extremely radical feminist, tried to enlist Jessie into her movement. Although she respected Alice Paul's efforts, often dining in her home, Jessie believed she could accomplish more by giving well-orchestrated speeches on platforms that included men. Jessie joined Carrie Chapman Catt's parliamentary movement and toured the country as the second speaker on her platform. Carrie then appointed Jessie as the lobbyist for the League of Women Voters, which she founded in 1920, the same year that women received the vote. While living in London, Jessie spoke with George Bernard Shaw, and later shared the podium several times with Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1945, Jessie's book Time to Speak Up: A Speaker's Handbook for Women enjoyed strong sales. As a result, Jessie enjoyed speaking engagements for years to come. Jessie's final public appearances at age 93, were with Gloria Steinem and Marlo Thomas in Hollywood, California. Mila Johansen is a professional speaker, writer, teacher and writing coach. She is the author of twenty-two plays and musicals that circle the globe along with two teaching manuals, 101 Theatre Games and 50 Scenes to Go. Jessie Haver Butler helped raise Mila, which made Mila the woman she is today - a writer, historian, activist, and speaker. When Jessie was in her early 90s, Mila followed her around as she shared the podium, several times, with Gloria Steinem, Marlo Thomas, and Jane Fonda. All of Jessie's archives were passed to Mila in the late 1980s, but remained in two file cabinets while Mila was busy teaching, raising her daughter, and writing plays and books. Finally, in early 2018, Mila began the process of organizing Jessie's extensive archives, and began the book that Jessie had always encouraged her to write--the story of Jessie's life. Mila Johansen has written nine screenplays, several children's picture books, and has one YA historical novel, The Four Thieves, finished and ready to publish. She also has three provocative upmarket fiction novels almost completed. Mila lives on her organic citrus ranch in Northern California with her husband, four dogs, and a cat.

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