Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920
Biography of Daisy Allen Story, 1858-1932
By Isabel Rubio, student, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York
Daisy Allen Story, also known as Mrs. William C. Story, was born in 1858 in New York and died on July 15, 1932 from a heart disease. Her maiden name was Fanny Ella Daisy Allen, and she was the granddaughter of Stephen Allen who was the first elected mayor of New York City from 1821 to 1823. She was married to William Cummings Story on February 8, 1881 in Manhattan. Her marriage to William C. Story was her second marriage. Story was involved in a scandal that consisted of her ex-husband, Edward Price, who was beaten with a horsewhip by her cousin, Montgomery Throop (whom she was once engaged to) due to the abuse that Price inflicted on Daisy. William C. Story was also a prominent figure in society. Mr. Story was vice president of the American Savings Bank in New York as well as the first vice president of the Standard Statistics company of New York and was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, indicating that both Mr. and Mrs. Story were active in the war efforts political scene, each in their own gendered organization. The couple lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn throughout their lives, but moved to New Rochelle in Westchester, New York in 1930. They had three sons named Harold A. Story, Allen L. Story and Sterling Porter Story.
Story served in many women's organizations: President of the New York City Federation of Women's Clubs, President of the New York State Federation of Women's Clubs, Vice President of the Washington Headquarters Association, a member of the Society of Colonial Dames of the State of New York, president of the Woman's Republican Club, and served as the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.)'s Ninth President General from 1913-1917. During her D.A.R. presidency she inaugurated a movement to organize members of the D.A.R. for war work, advocated for universal military training and other progressive warm measures. As president of the State Federation of Women's Clubs in 1910, she sat on the Cooperating Suffrage Committee with suffrage supporters from many other organizations. Additionally, while she presided over the Woman's Republican Club, the club declared for women's suffrage.
Following the end of her presidential term at the D.A.R., Mrs. William Cummings Story and her sons Allen and Sterling was arrested on June 26, 1918 and charged with grand larceny, petit larceny and conspiracy. They were accused of having participated in a profiteering scheme where money that was contributed for comfort kits for US soldiers was diverted to the solicitor which they received a percentage of. Mrs. Story and her lawyer argued that she received no money and was unaware of the National Emergency Relief Society's transactions, although she was president of the organization. Despite this arrest she was still elected Honorary President General of the D.A.R.
Daisy Allen Story passed away in July 1932 and her obituary reported that D.A.R. leaders from national, state, and local branches attended her funeral.
Sources:
A.P. “Former D.A.R. Head Arrested.” The Courier-Journal (1918). https://courier-journal.newspapers.com/image/119579557.
“A Society Scandal- The Price-Throop Cowhiding—The Case.” Buffalo Morning Express and Illustrated Buffalo Express (1877). Accessed March 26, 2018. https://www.newspapers.com/image/343975227/?terms=%22Daisy+Allen%22
Cornish, Louis. A National Register of the Society, Sons of the American Revolution. New York: Press of Andrew H. Kellogg, 1902.
“Daisy Allen Story, 1913-1917, New York.” DAR.org. https://www.dar.org/national-society/dar-presidents-general.
“D.A.R. Heads Attend Mrs. Story's Funeral.” The New York Times (1932). https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1932/07/18/100836581.html?action=click&contentCollection=Archives&module=LedeAsset®ion=ArchiveBody&pgtype=article&pageNumber=13.
Gregory, Frances. “News of Interest to D.A.R.” The Orlando Sentinel (1932). https://www.newspapers.com/image/223072713/?terms=%22Daisy+Allen+Story%22.
"New York Marriages, 1686-1980," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F63K-R1T : 10 February 2018), William Cummings Story and Fanny Ella Daisy Allen, 08 Feb 1881; citing reference ; FHL microfilm 1,562,500.
Miller NAWSA Suffrage Scrapbooks. “Men Help Suffragists to Raise Fund for Legislative Work.” 1897-1911. Library of Congress. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rbcmil&fileName=scrp6005001/rbcmilscrp6005001.db&recNum=0&itemLink=D?rbcmillerbib:2:./temp/~ammem_TJUT::.
"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4GD-KQY : accessed 23 February 2018), William C Story, New Rochelle, Westchester, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 255, sheet 10B, line 76, family 199..
"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5ZX-Q6P : accessed 23 February 2018), Daisy E Story in household of William C Story, Manhattan Ward 18, New York, New York.
“William C. Story, Banker, Dies at 83.” The New York Times (1934). Accessed February 23, 2018.