Dr. Maud Thompson (November 17, 1870 - September 26,1962) was a women's rights activist, suffragist, and teacher. Thompson held leadership positions in women's rights and suffragist associations in Michigan and New Jersey. She lectured on women's right issues at activist gatherings, including at the Paterson Silk Strike in
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Early life and education
Thompson was born to Charles L. Thompson and Mary Boyd Thompson in
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
on November 17, 1870. She was the sister of Vance Thompson. She received her bachelor's degree from
Wellesley College
Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...
in
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley () is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Wellesley is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 29,550 at the time of the 2020 census. Wellesley College, Babson College, and a campus of M ...
in 1901 and then completed her master's degree at the school in 1902. During her studies at Wellesley, Thompson helped Gail Laughlin establish the Agora, a political society. While she was a student, she testified in support of women's suffrage in front of the Massachusetts Legisature.
Thompson also earned a Durant honor scholarship. She completed her Ph.D. in classics from
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
in
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...
in 1906. Thompson's dissertation studied the property rights of women in
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
.
Teaching career
Following graduation from her master's studies at Wellesley College, Thompson began her teaching career at the college level. She taught Greek and Latin at Irving Female College in
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The borough is west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area. As of the ...
for two years. After moving to Michigan, she taught at the Detroit Seminary in
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
from 1906-1908.
In 1917, Thompson began teaching at college preparatory schools. She first taught at the School of Organic Education in
Fairhope, Alabama
Fairhope is a city in Baldwin County, Alabama, United States, located on the eastern shoreline of Mobile Bay. The population was 22,477 at the 2020 census. Fairhope is a principal city of the Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metropolitan area, which in ...
founded by educational reformer
Marietta Johnson
Marietta Pierce Johnson (Oct. 8, 1864Dec. 23,1938) was an American educational reformer and Georgist. Johnson was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and moved with her family to Fairhope, Alabama, in 1902. In 1907, she founded a progressive school ...
(now the Marietta Johnson School of Organic Education) for one year. Thompson then taught at the Beard School (now Morristown-Beard School) in
Orange, New Jersey
The City of Orange (known simply as Orange) is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 34,447, an increase o ...
from 1918 to 1926. She served as head of the Latin Department at the school. Following her move to Connecticut, Thompson taught at the Edgewood School in
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich ( ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 63,518. It is the largest town on Gold Coast (Connecticut), Connectic ...
for the next 18 years. (The property now serves as the home of Eagle Hill School.) She also served as the academic director of the high school. Thompson finished her teaching career by teaching at
High Mowing School
Founded in 1942, High Mowing School is an independent private, co-educational, day and boarding school, located in Wilton, New Hampshire, in the United States. High Mowing serves students in early childhood through grade 12. It is the oldest W ...
in
Wilton, New Hampshire
Wilton is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,896 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Like many small New England towns, it grew up arou ...
for 12 years (1942-1956).
Activism
While in Detroit, Thompson joined the Socialist Party in 1906. In 1910, Thompson moved to
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
where she was active in both
socialist
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
and
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 ...
causes.
Personal life and death
Thompson married William Bohn in 1909. They had one child, Rhoda Bohn.
Thompson died in
Port Chester, New York
Port Chester is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the largest part of the town of Rye (town), New York, Rye in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County by populati ...