Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920
Biography of Mary Dick, 1893-1977
By Alexandra Fleming, undergraduate student, University of California San Diego
Mary Dick was born in 1893 in Wimbledon, North Dakota. As a youth, she delivered orations on various topics and was involved in singing, plays, and debate. She was the salutatorian of St. James Academy. In 1913 she gave a "charming" reading at the celebration of the arrival of the railroad, so as young as age 20 she was a public speaker.
In 1915, Mary's father, who was a grain buyer at the Royal Elevator Company, got an additional job as a postmaster. She planned on working there as an assistant to that position for some time. In 1916, Mary was secretary of the Women's Study Club in Wimbledon. That same year, she gave a humorous reading about women voting at a Valley City suffragist meeting at the Congregational Church. This is the first recorded time she participated in a suffragist activity, although it is likely that she was active before this time. Later that year, she gave a reading on suffrage day at Spiritwood Lake Chautauqua.
Mary continued her activism by holding different leadership positions in the Women's League of North Dakota and helping at their conventions. She was the Corresponding Secretary in the Votes for the Women League of North Dakota in 1917. Founded in 1912, the Votes for Women League of North Dakota, also called North Dakota League for Votes for Women, had headquarters in Fargo and many chapters throughout the state and pushed people to support expanding voting rights. Mary spoke at many events hosted by this organization. She is mentioned in 1917 as one of the prominent suffragists in Bismarck at the annual state convention of the Votes for Women League.
Mary married Albert Hemp, former second lieutenant of the U.S. Army and cashier of the Merchants Bank of Wimbledon, on January 16, 1919, at age 25. She had two sons, John and William. She remained active in women's issues even after her marriage and after the ratification of the 19th Amendment. She was part of the women's reception committee to welcome Mrs. Woodrow Wilson to Bismarck on behalf of North Dakota in 1919. She was the chairman of the Barnes County League of Women Voters in 1920 and spoke then on how to organize the county to support women's voting. In 1920 she served as the president of the Women's Study Club in Wimbledon.
Mary Dick Hemp died in 1977 when she was 84.
Sources:
"The Bismarck Tribune. [Volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-Current, September 08, 1919, Image 5." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042243/1919-09-08/ed-1/seq-5/.
"Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, July 11, 1901, Image 4." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88076432/1901-07-11/ed-1/seq-4/.
"The Fargo Forum and Daily Republican. [Volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, September 26, 1917, Image 7." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042224/1917-09-26/ed-1/seq-7/.
"Grand Forks Daily Herald. (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1914-1916, May 24, 1916, Image 7." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Times Herald Pub. Co. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89074405/1916-05-24/ed-1/seq-7/.
"Hemp Mary D. in the U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-Current." Heritage Quest. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/discoveryui-content/view/549764685:61843.
"Jamestown Weekly Alert. [Volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, December 22, 1910, Image 7." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042405/1910-12-22/ed-1/seq-7/.
"Jamestown Weekly Alert. [Volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, February 22, 1906, Image 7." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042405/1906-02-22/ed-1/seq-7/.
"Jamestown Weekly Alert. [Volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, January 23, 1919, Image 10." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042405/1919-01-23/ed-1/seq-10/.
"Jamestown Weekly Alert. [Volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, July 06, 1916, Image 8." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042405/1916-07-06/ed-1/seq-8/.
"Jamestown Weekly Alert. [Volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, June 03, 1915, Image 2." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042405/1915-06-03/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Jamestown Weekly Alert. [Volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, June 15, 1911, Image 2." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042405/1911-06-15/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Jamestown Weekly Alert. [Volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, June 22, 1911, Image 7." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042405/1911-06-22/ed-1/seq-7/.
"Jamestown Weekly Alert. [Volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, June 23, 1910, Image 2." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspaper. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042405/1910-06-23/ed-1/seq-2/.
"Jamestown Weekly Alert. [Volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, November 18, 1909, Image 3." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042405/1909-11-18/ed-1/seq-3/.
"Mary Dick in the 1910 United States Federal Census." Heritage Quest. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/discoveryui-content/view/163358081:7884.
"Mary Hemp in the 1930 United States Federal Census." Heritage Quest. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/discoveryui-content/view/79558624:6224.
"The Washburn Leader. [Volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, March 02, 1917, Image 2." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85000631/1917-03-02/ed-1/seq-2/.
"The Weekly Times-Record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, June 03, 1920, Image 8." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89074274/1920-06-03/ed-1/seq-8/.
"The Weekly Times-Record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, October 19, 1916, Image 6." Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Accessed June 3, 2021. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89074274/1916-10-19/ed-1/seq-6/.
Winslow, Helen M. Official Register and Directory of Women's Clubs in America 1920. Shirley, Massachusetts, 1920.