Olive Ann Moorman Leader (July 28, 1852 – April 9, 1930) was a temperance reformer,

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 ...

, educator, and human rights activist.

Early life

Olive Ann Moorman was born in

Franklin, Ohio Franklin is a city in Warren County, Ohio, United States, along the Great Miami River. The population was 11,690 at the 2020 census. The city lies about southwest of Dayton and northeast of Cincinnati. Ohio State Routes 73, 123 and 741 pas ...

, on July 28, 1852. In her early childhood her parents moved to

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, but she returned to Ohio to finish her education. As a child her ambition was to become an educator, and all her energies were directed to that end.

Career

For thirteen years Olive Moorman Leader was a successful teacher. She taught in the schools of

Keokuk, Iowa Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk people, Sauk chief K ...

, Plattamouth,

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln (na ...

and

Seward, Nebraska Seward is a city in and the county seat of Seward County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,643 at the 2020 census. Seward is part of the Lincoln, Nebraska metropolitan area. History Seward was platted in 1868. It was named from ...

. She was identified with school work in Seward, Lincoln and Plattsmouth successively, and, moving to

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, she began, in connection with the

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 ...

, active work in the temperance cause. She introduced the systematic visiting of the Douglas county jails. She was one of the first workers among the Chinese, being first State superintendent of that department. In 1887, moving to

Dakota Territory The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of ...

, she worked indefatigably for its admission as a prohibition State. During her three years' residence in Dakota she was State superintendent of miners' and foreign work in the

. In 1889, she returned to Nebraska and settled in

Chadron, Nebraska Chadron ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Dawes County, Nebraska, United States, in the Great Plains region. The population was 5,206 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is home to an 11-story high-rise on the campus o ...

. She was for two years superintendent of soldiers' work in Nebraska, and was for twelve years identified with the suffrage cause. She was an adherent of Christian Science and a strong believer in its efficacy, having, as she firmly believed, been personally benefited thereby. While living in Chadron, Leader established the Christian Science Church there. In 1901, she moved to a ranch in

Cherry County, Nebraska Cherry County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 5,455. Its county seat is Valentine. The county was named for Lt. Samuel A. Cherry, an Army officer who was stationed at Fort ...

and then in 1919 she moved again to Wood Lake, Nebraska. She was a member of the Eastern Star Work and organized the Wood Lake Culture Club.

Personal life

On April 5, 1880, Olive Moorman married Joseph Baird Leader, a pioneer railroad man on the Northwestern, and moved to

. She died on April 9, 1930, in Wood Lake, Nebraska, and is buried at Greenwood Cemetery, Chadron.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leader, Olive Moorman 1852 births 1930 deaths American temperance activists Woman's Christian Temperance Union people American Christian Scientists People from Franklin, Ohio Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century