Marion Howard Dunham (, Howard; December 6, 1842 – December 27, 1921) was an American teacher, temperance activist, and suffragist. She entered upon the temperance field in 1877 with the inauguration of the red ribbon movement in her state of

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

, but believing in more permanent effort, she was the prime agitator in the organization of the local

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international Temperance movement, temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social ref ...

(W.C.T.U.). In 1883, she was elected state superintendent of the Department of Scientific Temperance and held the office for four years lecturing to institutes and general audiences on that subject most of the time. She procured the "Prohibitory law of the state of Iowa", in February 1886. When the Iowa State Temperance Union began to display its opposition to the national W.C.T.U., she came to be considered a leader on the side of the minority who adhered to the national and when the majority in the state union seceded from the national union October 16, 1890, she was elected president of those remaining auxiliary to that body. She spent a large part of her time in the field lecturing on temperance. In addition to her temperance work, she was always a radical equal suffragist, who spoke and wrote much on that subject. A

Christian socialist Christian socialism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing left-wing politics and socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Many Christian socialists believe cap ...

and an outspoken militant, Dunhan was an asset to the Socialist women's movement.

Early life and education

Marion H. Howard was born at

Burton, Ohio Burton is a village in Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,452 at the 2010 census. Burton is the location of Century Village, run by the Geauga Historical Society. The museum village is composed of 19th-century buildings mo ...

, December 6, 1842. She passed the first part of her life upon a farm. Her parents were Justice Howard and Clara Taylor Howard. She was educated in the public schools till the age of fifteen, when she became a teacher, using the money thus earned to complete her education in various

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

institutions.

Career

She taught in the public schools of

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from 1806 to 1873. In 1873, she married Charles A. Dunham, an architect of

Burlington, Iowa Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of, Des Moines County, Iowa, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000 United States ...

, and went with her husband to reside in that city. She took part in the Red Ribbon movement there in 1877, and was the prime facilitator in the organization of the Burlington W.C.T.U. She was elected president, and later became president of the county and district organizations. In 1883, she was elected State superintendent of the department of Scientific Temperance. She spent the next four years largely in lecturing on that subject to institutes and various other assemblies. During that period, she procured from the Legislature the Iowa law of 1886. In 1890, when the Iowa W.C.T.U. withdrew from the national organization, Dunham decided to remain with the minority, and she was elected State president of the remnant that still adhered to the National W.C.T.U. She was for a number of years almost the only W.C.T.U. speaker in Iowa representing the national body. She labored to bring about an adjustment of the differences. At length her efforts were rewarded with success in the reuniting of both branches. She afterward moved back to Chicago, where she was elected president of the

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...

W.C.T.U. She served for many years as a member of the Board of Trustees, and also as secretary, of the Woman’s Temple of Chicago.

Dunham wrote and spoke much on the suffrage issue. She was a Christian socialist, deeply interested in all reforms that promised to better the social system and the conditions of life for the multitudes. Dunham served as Corresponding Secretary of the Women's National Socialist Union.

Personal life

Some years before her death, she resigned her official positions and took up her residence in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

. Marion Howard Dunham died in Los Angeles, December 27, 1921,"California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994"
database with images, FamilySearch, 1 March 2021, Entry for Marion H Howard Dunham. and was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery, December 31, 1921.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dunham, Marion Howard 1842 births 1921 deaths People from Geauga County, Ohio People from Burlington, Iowa Woman's Christian Temperance Union people American temperance activists Educators from Ohio American suffragists American socialists Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century American Christian socialists Female Christian socialists