Elizabeth Thacher Kent (September 22, 1868 – August 14, 1952) was an

environmentalist An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...

and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

activist. Together with her husband, U.S. Congressman

William Kent William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became Principal Painter in Ordinary or court painter, bu ...

, she helped create the

Muir Woods National Monument Muir Woods National Monument is a United States National Monument managed by the National Park Service, named after naturalist John Muir. It is located on Mount Tamalpais near the Pacific coast, in southwestern Marin County, California. It is ...

by donating land to the government. She was the president of her local chapter of the

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is a non-profit non-governmental organization working "to bring together women of different political views and philosophical and religious backgrounds determined to study and make kno ...

and served on the national council of the

National Woman's Party The National Woman's Party (NWP) was an American women's political organization formed in 1916 to fight for women's suffrage. After achieving this goal with the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the NW ...

. In addition, she authored an autobiography as well as a biography of her husband's life and career.

Personal life

Elizabeth Thacher Kent was the daughter of

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

professor Thomas Anthony Thacher and Elizabeth Baldwin (Sherman) Thacher. She married William Kent on February 26, 1890 and moved to

Kentfield, California Kentfield (formerly Ross Landing, Tamalpais, and Kent) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Marin County, California, United States, just north of San Francisco. Kentfield is located southwest of downtown San Rafael, at an elevation of 115 fee ...

. Together they had seven children. Her sons include

Sherman Kent Sherman Kent (December 6, 1903 – March 11, 1986), was a Yale University history professor who, during World War II and through 17 years of Cold War-era service in the Central Intelligence Agency, pioneered many of the methods of intelligenc ...

(Yale professor & CIA Analyst) and Roger Kent (US politician). Her daughter was the prominent artist

Adaline Kent Adaline Dutton Kent or Adaline Kent Howard, (August 7, 1900 – March 24, 1957) was an American sculptor from California. She created abstract sculptures with forms inspired by the natural landscape. Early life and education Kent was born on ...

. Her favorite recreational activities were motoring and bridge. She was the great-granddaughter of American founding father

Roger Sherman Roger Sherman (April 19, 1721 – July 23, 1793) was an American statesman, lawyer, and a Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to sign four of the great state papers of the United States related to the founding: the Con ...

and his second wife Rebecca Minot Prescott. Her grandfather was Roger Sherman Jr.; her brother Sherman Day Thacher founded

The Thacher School The Thacher School is an elite private co-educational boarding school in Ojai, California. Founded in 1889 as a boys' school, it is now the oldest co-educational boarding school in California. Girls were first admitted in 1977. The first co-ed gra ...

in Ojai, CA. She was a first cousin and close friend of

Elizabeth Selden Rogers Elizabeth Selden White Rogers (July 23, 1868 – December 18, 1950) was a civic reformer working to improve the New York public schools, and to win suffrage for women in the state of New York and the nation. Early life and education She wa ...

, chair of the Advisory Council of the

and its Legislative Chairperson for the State of New York.

Biography

Elizabeth T. Kent and her husband were active in local politics and conservation. When the coastal redwood forest in

Marin Marin (French) or Marín (Spanish "sailor") may refer to: People * Marin (name), including a list of persons with the given name or surname * MaRin, in-game name of professional South Korean ''League of Legends'' player Jang Gyeong-hwan (born 19 ...

were being cut down, Elizabeth and William purchased 611 acres of land and donated 295 acres to the federal government, which later became

. Elizabeth T. Kent and

John Muir John Muir ( ; April 21, 1838December 24, 1914), also known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", was an influential Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist ...

were good friends, corresponding about nature and conservation. In 1911, the Kent family moved to Washington D.C. after Mr. Kent was elected to serve his first term in Congress. Elizabeth was an active advocate of women’s rights, and was instrumental in helping women’s right to vote. She was a featured speaker at the 1913 and 1914 conventions of the National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA), and then became the leader of their Congressional Committee. She helped form the Congressional Union (later renamed the Women’s Party), which picketed the White House in support of suffrage. In the 1930s she became involved with the

, and in 1937 became president of the Marin County chapter. In DC, she lobbied members of Congress and testified before congressional committees twice. She is one of the few Marin County women to be elected posthumously to the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame. She participated in the meeting of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

in San Francisco in 1945.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kent, Elizabeth Thacher People from Kentfield, California American conservationists American suffragists American women's rights activists 1868 births 1952 deaths Kent family of California Spouses of California politicians Women's International League for Peace and Freedom people Activists from California