Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920
Biography of Miss Mary E. McCumber, 1873 - 1962
By Tracy A. Morse, 4th Year, History Undergraduate, University of California, San Diego
Mary Etta McCumber was a spinster born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on June 15, 1872 to Canadian parents, John Barzillai McCumber (1829-1873), a millwright, and Jane Brown (1835-1920), a homemaker and capitalist. McCumber's father passed away at the early age of forty-four, shortly after her first birthday. Her mother, who never remarried, raised McCumber and her three older siblings: Anna Levina, William G. and John Bernard.
While pursuing a degree in Latin at the University of Wisconsin, McCumber worked as a secretary for the YWCA and treasurer of Castalia. At the age of twenty, McCumber finished her education and received a Bachelor of Letters degree. In 1903, she embarked upon a full-time career as a high school Latin teacher in her home state of Wisconsin. According to the 1910 US Federal Census, McCumber relocated to Grand Forks, North Dakota with her mother to live with her sister Anna and Anna's husband, Elwin F. Chandler. Both were teachers. McCumber continued her career as a high school Latin teacher in Grand Forks.
Not long after relocating to North Dakota, McCumber became involved with the women's suffrage movement. She joined the Grand Forks chapter of the Votes for Women Club, a suffrage organization. The club was organized March 1, 1912, and was a division of the Votes for Women League of North Dakota. Their objective was to "advance the industrial, legal, and educational rights of women, and to secure suffrage to them by appropriate state and national legislation." McCumber was elected as their treasurer at the first meeting, and was one of the first officers on the executive committee. During that meeting, there were also discussions about how four thousand teachers were teaching boys how to vote but could not "themselves exercise the right of suffrage," which led to an equal suffrage declaration.
McCumber spent her summer vacation that year of 1912 in France. During the fall, McCumber, along with other officers of the Votes for Women Club, hosted a dinner in Grand Rapids for Jane Addams of Hull House. She was on her first midwestern suffrage campaign speaking tour. McCumber and other club attendees sat at dinner tables decorated in the suffrage color of yellow and listened to Addams who spoke about the suffrage movement.
On May 7, 1913, McCumber was voted in as the secretary-treasurer of the executive committee of the Votes for Women League of North Dakota. During that meeting, "The league passed resolutions asking that the US Senate committee on woman suffrage make a favorable report on the Senate joint resolution number one," after discussing the current "status of the Suffrage Movement in America and England." In the Fall of 1914, McCumber joined Mrs. F. J. Van Fleet of Larimore, a suffrage organizer in Grand Forks, on a month-long campaign for suffrage.
Beth Behn of the University of Massachusetts Amherst wrote a dissertation entitled "Woodrow Wilson's Conversion Experience: The President and the Federal Woman Suffrage Amendment," which included information about a letter dated June 25, 1917 that McCumber wrote to Alice Paul, one of the most prominent activists of the twentieth century women's rights movement. Behn wrote,
Perhaps the oddest letter of support came from Mary E. McCumber, the head of the North Dakota NAWSA affiliate. McCumber, apparently a closet militant, wrote to (Alice) Paul to tell her how much she admired her willingness to "fight right on the firing line." She added that there were "thousands of women scattered over the country who are watching your achievements with pride and gratitude." We can probably assume with relative confidence that Paul derived more than a little satisfaction in receiving a letter of support written on NAWSA stationery.
Later that year, during their two-day annual session in Bismarck, McCumber was selected as a congressional district chairman of the Votes for Women League of North Dakota.
In 1920, McCumber's mother passed away. McCumber continued to live with her sister and brother-in-law while she worked full-time for the Central High School in Grand Forks, North Dakota. She often volunteered to help the school outside of school hours, such as on November 17, 1922, when she attended the North Dakota State Teachers Association conference as an officer holding the position of president of the modern languages and Latin department.
In 1928, McCumber was treasurer for the Grand Forks chapter of the North Dakota League of Women Voters. She presented the annual financial statement at the Fifth annual convention to the women's clubs officials from multiple states.
According to the US Federal Census, McCumber still lived with her sister and brother-in-law in Grand Forks throughout the 1930s and 1940s. In 1940, the two sisters retired from teaching, and their brother, John, a recently divorced restaurant owner, moved in with them. While McCumber was retired from high school teaching, she remained active with women's issues. In 1953, she was listed as a Congressional Aide for the State of North Dakota in the Library of Congress, National American Woman Suffrage Association. That same year her brother, John, died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Mary lived with her sister and brother-in-law her entire adult life. She dedicated that life to teaching and women's suffrage. On April 13, 1962, she passed at the age of 88 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Sources:
"1851 Census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia," digital image s.v. "John McCumber," Year: 1851; Census Place: York, Canada West (Ontario); Schedule: A; Roll: C-11760; Page: 39; Line: 16, Ancestry.com, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=1061&h=2160685&ssrc=pt&tid=176928475&pid=332304105577&usePUB=true
"1870 United States Federal Census," digital s.v. "Jno (John) Mccamber (McCumber)," Year: 1870; Census Place: Fond du Lac Ward 4, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Roll: M593_1713; Page: 306A, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/8206315:7163?ssrc=pt&tid=176928475&pid=332304105577
"1880 United States Federal Census," digital s.v. "Ma(r)y E. McCumber," Year: 1880; Census Place: Fond Du Lac, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Roll: 1425; Page: 183D; Enumeration District: 040. Ancestry.com.https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/28410703:6742?tid=176928475&pid=332298203980&hid=1027859345697
"1900 United States Federal Census," digital s.v. "Mary McCumber," Sheet Number 10, Family Number 10, House Number 212, Year: 1900; Census Place: Madison Ward 1, Dane, Wisconsin; Page: 10; Enumeration District: 0046; FHL microfilm: 1241782, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/73609678:7602?ssrc=pt&tid=176928475&pid=332298203980
"1910 United States Federal Census," digital s.v. "Mary E. McCumber," Year: 1910; Census Place: Grand Forks, Grand Forks, North Dakota; Roll: T624_1142; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0094; FHL microfilm: 1375155, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/170172546:7884?tid=176928475&pid=332298203980&hid=1027859345704
"1920 United States Federal Census." 2010. Digital Image s.v. "Mary E. McCumber." Year: 1920; Census Place: Grand Forks Ward 5, Grand Forks, North Dakota; Roll: T625_1334; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 61. Ancestry.com. Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Provo, UT. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/46781196:6061?ssrc=pt&tid=176928475&pid=332298203980
"1930 United States Federal Census," digital image s.v. "Anna L. Chandler," Year: 1930; Census Place: Grand Forks, Grand Forks, North Dakota; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 0022; FHL microfilm: 2341469, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/108575053:6224?ssrc=pt&tid=176928475&pid=332304106373
"1940 United States Federal Census," digital image s.v. "Anna M. Chandler," Year: 1940; Census Place: Grand Forks, Grand Forks, North Dakota; Roll: m-t0627-03002; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 18-26, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/99238515:2442?tid=176928475&pid=332304106373&hid=1027883686394
"Arizona, US Death Records, 1887-1960," digital s.v. "John B. McCumber," Certificate of Death, Registrar's No 1949, State File no. 5560. https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/176928475/person/332304106373/hints
Behn, Beth, "Woodrow Wilson's Conversion Experience: The President and the Federal Woman Suffrage Amendment" (2012). Open Access Dissertations. 511. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/open_access_dissertations/511
"Classical Literary Society Meeting," May 28, 1913, 5, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351460356/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
Dinner Enjoyable Affair," October 30, 1912, 6, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351465818/?terms=Mary%20e%20Mccumber&match=1
"Franklin Club Held Final Meeting," May 9, 1913, 5, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351458104/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"Had Jolly Time," Dec 31, 1910, 8, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351474397/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"Headquarters North Dakota Votes for Women League," September 3, 1914, page 6, Williston Graphic, https://www.newspapers.com/image/174807211/?terms=Mary%20e%20Mccumber&match=1
"Host Bibliographic Record for Boundwith Item Barcode 30112075860889 Volume 4, 1900, University of Wisconsin for 1899-1900, Bulletin, No. 35, General Series, No. 3, April 1900. Madison, Wisconsin. Published by the University 1900. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Host_Bibliographic_Record_for_Boundwith/8bpGAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
"John B McCumber, Dec 1. 1929," "US Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current," digital image s.v. "John B McCumber," Find a Grave, database and images, Memorial ID 161581455, Rienzi Cemetery, Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, www.findagrave.com/memorial/161581455/john-b-mccumber, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/132009092:60525?tid=176928475&pid=332304105577&hid=1027883670536
"Local Educators on Program for Meeting at Fargo," November 17, 1922, 6, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351945610/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"Mrs. Clendenning Re-Elected President of Suffrage League," October 4, 1917, 3, Jamestown Weekly Alert, https://www.newspapers.com/image/465586252/
National American Woman Suffrage Association. National American Woman Suffrage Association Records: Subject File, -1953; Congressional committees; 4 of 13. - 1953, 1851. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/mss3413201447/
"New York, US, Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island, 1820-1957," digital image s.v. "Mary E McCumber", Year: 1912; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 9; Page Number: 103, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7488/images/NYT715_1929-0559?treeid=176928475&personid=332298203980&hintid=&queryId=c623e784dccb4d506feddb5c9807dec0&usePUB=true&_phsrc=PEq202&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.120565568.954015754.1626553763-830542388.1625099713&pId=4041617899
"Normal School Department may be added to Local High School: Final Decision to be made after opening," September 8, 1911, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351465277/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"North Dakota, US, Territorial and State Censuses, 1855, 1915, 1925," digital image s.v. "Jane B McCumber," Year: 1915 State Archives and Historical Research Library, State Historical Society of North Dakota, Bismarck, North Dakota. North Dakota State University Archives; Fargo, North Dakota, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2497820:1078?tid=176928475&pid=332304105073&queryId=5d25d974ef58336f7201390c1b8f0e38&_phsrc=PEq297&_phstart=successSource
"Of Interest to Women: Annual Banquet and Junior Prom." June 20, 1919. Grand Forks Herald. https://www.newspapers.com/image/351892803/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"Of Interest to Women," September 14, 1918, 2, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351905674/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"Public School Teachers," September 7, 1909, 6, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351463123/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"Re-Districting to eliminate old condition," August 30, 1911, 6, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351464851/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"School Board Hires teachers for next year," March 3, 1911, 5, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351444243/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"Seniors will be the Guests," May 29, 1913, 10, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351460433/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"Society Notes: Franklin Club," January 6, 1914, 6, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/70970079/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"Suffrage Workers Launched Club Friday," March 2, 1912, 5, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351439548/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"To Summer in Wisconsin," June 4, 1910, 8, Grand Forks Herald, https://www.newspapers.com/image/351456965/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"The Woman Citizen," United States: Leslie Woman Suffrage Commission, 1917. Volume 1, Issues 3-26, 59, https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Woman_Citizen/YdERAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=mary+mccumber+suffragist&pg=PA59&printsec=frontcover
"US City Directories, 1822-1995," Year: 1903, Digital Image s.v. "Mary Etta McCumber," Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/764542939:2469?ssrc=pt&tid=176928475&pid=332298203980
"U.S., Death Index, 1959-1997," digital image, "Mary L (E) McCumber," Wisconsin Vital Records Office, Wisconsin Death Index, 1959-67, 1969-97, Madison, Wisconsin, USA: Wisconsin Department of Health, Ancestry.com, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8790&h=1286015&tid=176928475&pid=332298203980&queryId=264c5b95a4f55bee13950c1a25156317&usePUB=true&_phsrc=PEq227&_phstart=successSource
"US High School Catalogs," digital image s.v. "Mary Etta McCumber," 1765-1935, American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Massachusetts, 2012, Ancestry.com, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2203&h=5290666&tid=176928475&pid=332298203980&hid=1027859345696
"US School Yearbooks, 1900-1999," Digital Image s.v. "Mary Etta McCumber," "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: University of Wisconsin-Madison; Year: 1900, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/244028558:1265?tid=176928475&pid=332298203980&hid=1027859345698
"Votes for Women Club Records, 1912-1919, Collection Overview," ID: OGLMC0080, University of North Dakota, Department of Special Collections Digital Finding Aids, https://apps.library.und.edu/archon/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=410&q=&rootcontentid=54161
"Votes for Women League Meeting," May 7, 1913, 5, Grand Forks Herald. https://www.newspapers.com/image/351457913/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1
"Wisconsin, U.S., Death Index, 1959-1997," digital image s.v. "Mary E. McCumber," Wisconsin Vital Records Office. Wisconsin Death Index, 1959-67, 1969-97, Madison, Wisconsin, USA: Wisconsin Department of Health, Ancestry.com, https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8790&h=1286014&tid=176928475&pid=332298203980&hid=1027859345701
"Wisconsin, U.S. State Censuses, 1855-1905," digital s.v. "Jane Brown," Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin, Census Year: 1905, Microfilm, 44 reels, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/755333:1055?tid=160180778&pid=222091087400&queryId=4e324c406a790dcc07a1c87ae0a209e6&_phsrc=PEq291&_phstart=successSource
"Women Voters League Seeks Civic Interest," July 23, 1928, 5, The Bismarck Tribune, https://www.newspapers.com/image/55719738/?terms=%22mary%20e%20mccumber%22&match=1