Louisa K. Fast (January 15, 1878 – November 6, 1979) was an American

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

and international activist.

Early life

Louisa was born in

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, eighth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 70,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Canton–Massillo ...

to Melanchton Luther Fast and Maria Louisa Kuhn. Louisa's father died one month before she was born, and her mother died three weeks after she was born. When her parents died, she became a ward of

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

, who was a friend of her parents. He was governor of Ohio at the time. Kinley took care of her until Louisa became of age, and kept in contact with her even during his presidency. Fast graduated in 1898 from

Smith College Smith College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smit ...

. She went to France during World War I as part of Smith College's relief unit, and she worked to rebuild the countryside.

Activism

Fast became involved with the

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

in 1920. At the time, the organization had just been formed. Through the organization, she traveled around Ohio advocating for women's groups to organize and form local chapters of the League of Women Voters. In 1923, she got a job working with the International Relations Branch of the League of Women Voters and worked with

Carrie Chapman Catt Carrie Chapman Catt (born Carrie Clinton Lane; January 9, 1859#Fowler, Fowler, p. 3 – March 9, 1947) was an American women's suffrage leader who campaigned for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave U.S. women t ...

to develop conferences. In 1935, she helped plan the 1935 Istanbul-based conference of the International Alliance of Women for Suffrage and Equal Citizenship.

Legacy

Fast was inducted into the

Ohio Women's Hall of Fame The Ohio Women's Hall of Fame was a program the State of Ohio's Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Department of Job and Family Services ran from 1978 through 2011. The Hall has over 400 members. In 2019, the Hall's physical archives an ...

in 1980, in the category of Women's Suffrage and Cultural Activism. She also has a park named after her in

Tiffin, Ohio Tiffin is a city in Seneca County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Developed along the Sandusky River, Tiffin is located about southeast of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. The population was 17,953 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fast, Louisa 1878 births 1979 deaths Suffragists from Ohio Smith College alumni American women's rights activists Members of the League of Women Voters