Anna B. Lawther

LAWTHER, BELL

Posted By: Sharyl Ferrall (email)
Date: 12/22/2003 at 22:33:15

ANNA B. LAWTHER.
Member of Board of Education, born in Dubuque, Iowa, the daughter of William Lawther and Annie Elizabeth (Bell) Lawther. Her grandparents were among the earliest settlers of the state. Received early education in public schools of Dubuque and prepared for college at Miss Stevens' school, Germantown, Pa. Received her bachelor of arts degree from Bryn Mawr college in 1897. The year following her graduation she became assistant bursar of Bryn Mawr college. From 1904 to 1905 she was the warden of Merion Hall, Bryn Mawr college, and from 1907 to 1912 she was the secretary of Bryn Mawr college. After resigning her position at her alma mater Miss Lawther returned to Dubuque where she bacame interested in local activities. During the campaign for equal suffrage in the spring of 1916, Miss Lawther was the chairman of the Dubuque County Equal Suffrage league and in the autumn of the same yaer was elected president of the Iowa Equal Suffrage association and was twice re-elected to that position. She was a member of the state council of defense during the war. When presidential suffrage was granted to the women of owa by the thirty-eighth general assembly, Miss Lawther was made the democratic national committeewoman for Iowa. Was sent as a delegate to the democratic national convention at San Francisco in 1920. She is at present the democratic national committeewoman for Iowa.

-source: Iowa Official Register, 1927-1928; Biographies of State Officials.