Mary Catherine Judd (March 12, 1852 – October 1937) was an American educator, author of

children's literature Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...

, and active worker for world peace. Born in

New York state New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...

, she lived for many years in

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, and in later life, in

southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

Early life and education

Mary Catherine Judd was born,

Romulus, New York Romulus is a town in Seneca County, New York, United States. The population was 3,203 at the 2020 census. The town is named after the mythical founder of Rome, Romulus, a name assigned by a clerk with an interest in the classics. It is part o ...

, March 12, 1852. Her parents were Edward Ingraham Judd and Mary Jane Wilcox. She descended on her father's side from Deacon Thomas Judd, an English colonist, 1633,

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

, and official in the Colonial assembly of Connecticut in 1639. Through her mother, Judd was related to the Wilcox family of

East Orange, New Jersey East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 69,612, an increase of 5,342 (+8.3%) from the 2010 United States ...

. Mary Catherine's siblings included: Frances Luce Judd (b. 1845), Richard Wilcox Judd (b. 1846), Eliza Caroline Judd (b. 1847), and Schuyler Judd (b. 1849). Judd was educated in Union school (

Lockport, New York Lockport is both a city and the town that surrounds it in Niagara County, New York, United States. The city is the Niagara county seat, with a population of 21,165 according to 2010 census figures, and an estimated population of 20,305 as of 20 ...

Albion College Albion College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Albion, Michigan. The college was founded in 1835 and its undergraduate population was approximately 1,500 students as of Fall 2021 ...

(

Albion, Michigan Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,700 at the 2020 census. Albion is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area. The earliest ...

), and Whitewater Normal school (

Whitewater, Wisconsin Whitewater is a city located in Walworth and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located near the southern portion of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Whitewater is the home of the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. As of t ...

Career

Judd taught in

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

from 1871 to 1881, in Minneapolis public schools, and was principal to the Lincoln School,

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

, from 1881 to 1903. Judd studied plant, bird, and animal life, and while a teacher, emphasized nature study. In 1896, Judd's first book, '' Classic Myths'', appeared and was used in schools and children's libraries as one of the popular books of that time. In July 1901, Rand & McNally brought out an enlarged and profusely illustrated edition of Judd's ''Class Myths''. '' Wigwam stories'', ''Browner Primer'', ''A. B. C. Book of Birds'', and ''Legends of the Rhine'' followed. Educational articles appeared in periodicals and many short stories were published in larger periodicals. For example, in 1903, the ''New York Teachers' Monographs'' published Judd's "The Use of Classic Myths in the Grades". She also wrote poetry. Since 1911, Judd was an active worker for world peace. In 1913, she was appointed by

Jane Addams Laura Jane Addams (September 6, 1860May 21, 1935) was an American Settlement movement, settlement activist, Social reform, reformer, social worker, sociologist, public administrator, philosopher, and author. She was a leader in the history of s ...

as state chair of Minnesota's

Woman's Peace Party The Woman's Peace Party (WPP) was an American Pacifism, pacifist and First-wave feminism, feminist organization formally established in January 1915 in response to World War I. The organization is remembered as the first American peace organizatio ...

which appointment she held until 1917. She also served as secretary and treasurer of the Minneapolis Peace Society, and vice president of the Minneapolis branch of the American School Peace League. When Jane Addams was appointing delegates to the

Hague Peace Conference The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 are a series of international treaties and declarations negotiated at two international peace conferences at The Hague in the Netherlands. Along with the Geneva Conventions, the Hague Conventions were amon ...

of April 1915, she named Judd, who was, however, unable to attend. Judd was appointed by

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Winfield Scott Hammond Winfield Scott Hammond (November 17, 1863December 30, 1915) was an American politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party. He was the last governor from Minnesota to have been a member of the Minnesota Democratic Party before it merged wi ...

a delegate to the International Conference of Women Workers to Promote Permanent Peace held at the

Panama–Pacific International Exposition The Panama–Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California, United States, from February 20 to December 4, 1915. Its stated purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely s ...

in July 1915; it was Judd's intention to urge that this conference take action looking to have a peace emblem placed on postage stamps. For several years, Judd was secretary of Lewis Parliamentary Law Association and for three years, served as secretary of the Woman's Auxiliary of the

Civic League and also as secretary of the Minneapolis

Mycological Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their taxonomy, genetics, biochemical properties, and use by humans. Fungi can be a source of tinder, food, traditional medicine, as well as entheogens, poison, and ...

Society. The Audubon and Nature Study Club of

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

was organized on August 6, 1924. Judd, then living in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commerci ...

, was the inspiration and talent of the founding and growth of the organization. Birdwalks were held weekly, co-led by Judd. In 1932, Judd contributed poems to the Pasadena Writers' Club poetry contest.

Death

Judd died in Pasadena in late October 1937.

Selected works

* '' Classic Myths. Greek, German and Scandinavian. Retold for second and third reader graders.'', 1896
text
* ''Classical Myths'', 1901
text
* '' Wigwam stories told by North American Indians'', 1906
text
* ''Fremont and Kit Carson'', 1906
text
* ''A. B. C. Book of Birds'', 1916
text
* ''The Palmer Cox Brownie primer'', 1921
text
* ''Legends of the Rhine''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Judd, Mary Catherine 1852 births 1937 deaths People from Romulus, New York Writers from New York (state) Educators from New York (state) American children's writers American women children's writers People from Minneapolis Writers from Pasadena, California