Minnie E. Neal (1858–1945) was an American photographer and temperance leader. She served as President of the

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

State

Woman's Christian Temperance Union The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program that "linked the religious and the secular through concerted and far ...

(WCTU), and the first Treasurer of the Professional Photographers' Association of Florida.

Early life and education

Minnie Elnora Neal was born at

Gallipolis, Ohio Gallipolis ( ) is a village in Gallia County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is located in Southeast Ohio along the Ohio River about southeast of Chillicothe and northwest of Charleston, West Virginia. The population was 3,313 at ...

. Her parents were John C. and Fannie R. (Farrand) Neal. She was educated in the public schools of

Terre Haute, Indiana Terre Haute ( ) is a city in Vigo County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 58,389 and Terre Haute metropolitan area, its metropolitan area had a populati ...

, graduating from the high school in that city, and leading the class in general proficiency.

Career

Neal enlisted early in the temperance cause. Removing to Florida, she was elected corresponding secretary of the Florida WCTU in 1893. In 1901, she became vice-president, and in 1904, was chosen president of that organization. At that time, there were but 35 Unions in the State, and about 600 members. Fourteen years later (1918), there were 175 Unions and a listed membership of 3,540. Neal, although in business as a photographer in

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

contrived to spend considerable time at

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2024, the est ...

each winter when the Legislature was in session. The better elements of the population learned to rely on her as a shrewd and successful promoter of reform legislation. Besides her temperance work, Neal was active in church and missionary movements; and, during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, took a leading part in the activities of the Florida Women's Committee of National Defense. For several years, Neal served as secretary of the Florida Christian Endeavor Union and was the editor of its State paper. She was the Governor for Florida of the American Woman's Republic. Neal was a member of the

American Woman's League The American Woman's League (succeeded by American Woman's Republic) was created by the magazine publisher Edward Gardner Lewis in 1907. In part, it was a maneuver to lower postal rates by appealing to educational and social opportunities that ...

, Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, and the Equal Suffrage Club.

Personal life

In religion, she was Presbyterian. Minnie E. Neal died in Jacksonville, Florida, August 29, 1945.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neal, Minnie E. 1858 births 1945 deaths Temperance activists from Florida People from Gallipolis, Ohio Presidents of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union 19th-century American photographers 20th-century American photographers