Ruth Hanna McCormick
Encyclopedia
Ruth Hanna, Ruth Hanna McCormick or Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms (March 27, 1880–December 31, 1944) was a United States Representative
from Illinois
.
and the wife of Sen. Joseph Medill McCormick
and later of Congressman Albert Gallatin Simms, hence her maiden name, Ruth Hanna, and name upon death, Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms, are also seen in the literature. McCormick took an active role in the women's suffrage
movement.
McCormick was born in Cleveland, Ohio
where she attended Hathaway Brown School
. Later, she attended the The Masters School
in Dobbs Ferry, New York
and the Miss Porter's School
in Farmington, Connecticut
. She owned and operated a dairy
and breeding farm near Byron, Illinois
and was the publisher and president of the Rockford Consolidated Newspapers in Rockford, Illinois
.
McCormick was the chairman of the first woman’s executive committee of the Republican National Committee
, and an associate member of the national committee 1919-1924, in the latter year becoming the first elected national committeewoman from Illinois and served until 1928. She was an active worker for the suffrage amendment from 1913 until the United States Constitution
was amended. From 1913 to 1914, she served as head of the Congressional Committee for the National American Woman Suffrage Association
(NAWSA). She took over leadership from Alice Paul
, who went on to form the Congressional Union
as a separate national suffrage organization. During her time as leader of the Congressional Committee, she produced an eight-reel melodrama
Your Girl and Mine, which was intended to help gain support for the suffrage movement. The film never circulated broadly, despite critical praise from contemporary film reviewers, because the distribution agreement between NAWSA and the World Film Corporation fell apart shortly after the premiere in 1914 and the film was confined to private screenings.
McCormick was elected as a Republican
to the Seventy-first Congress
and served from March 4, 1929 to March 3, 1931 for the House of Representatives
, at-large from Illinois
. She was not a candidate for renomination in 1930 since she received the Republican nomination for United States Senator in which election she was unsuccessful. She resumed her newspaper interests. She married Albert Gallatin Simms, of New Mexico
, who was also a Member of the Seventy-first Congress and resided in Albuquerque, New Mexico
. In 1932 she founded Sandia Preparatory School
and in 1938 she founded Manzano Day School. She died in Chicago, Illinois in 1944 and was buried in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Life
Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms was the daughter of Mark HannaMark Hanna
Marcus Alonzo "Mark" Hanna was a United States Senator from Ohio and the friend and political manager of President William McKinley...
and the wife of Sen. Joseph Medill McCormick
Joseph M. McCormick
Joseph Medill McCormick , known as Medill, was part of the McCormick family of businessmen and politicians in Chicago...
and later of Congressman Albert Gallatin Simms, hence her maiden name, Ruth Hanna, and name upon death, Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms, are also seen in the literature. McCormick took an active role in the women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
movement.
McCormick was born in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
where she attended Hathaway Brown School
Hathaway Brown School
Hathaway Brown is an all-girls private school in Shaker Heights, Ohio, founded in 1876. It is also Ohio's second oldest college preparatory school for girls. The HB experience spans the early childhood program, primary school, middle school, and upper school.-History:Founded in 1876, Hathaway...
. Later, she attended the The Masters School
The Masters School
The Masters School, known as "Masters", is a private, coeducational boarding school and day college preparatory school located in Dobbs Ferry, New York. Its campus is located near Manhattan in the Hudson Valley in Westchester County...
in Dobbs Ferry, New York
Dobbs Ferry, New York
Dobbs Ferry is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 10,875 at the 2010 census.The Village of Dobbs Ferry is located in, and is a part of, the town of Greenburgh...
and the Miss Porter's School
Miss Porter's School
Miss Porter's School, sometimes simply referred to as Porter's or Farmington, is a private college preparatory school for girls located in Farmington, Connecticut.- History :...
in Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington, Connecticut
Farmington is a town located in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 25,340 at the 2010 census. It is home to the world headquarters of several large corporations including Carrier Corporation, Otis Elevator Company, and Carvel...
. She owned and operated a dairy
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
and breeding farm near Byron, Illinois
Byron, Illinois
Byron is a city in Ogle County, Illinois, United States, probably best known as the location of the Byron Nuclear Generating Station, one of the last nuclear power plants commissioned in the United States. Byron is located in Byron Township, along the Rock River. The population was 3,753 at the...
and was the publisher and president of the Rockford Consolidated Newspapers in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
.
McCormick was the chairman of the first woman’s executive committee of the Republican National Committee
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
, and an associate member of the national committee 1919-1924, in the latter year becoming the first elected national committeewoman from Illinois and served until 1928. She was an active worker for the suffrage amendment from 1913 until the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
was amended. From 1913 to 1914, she served as head of the Congressional Committee for the National American Woman Suffrage Association
National American Woman Suffrage Association
The National American Woman Suffrage Association was an American women's rights organization formed in May 1890 as a unification of the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association...
(NAWSA). She took over leadership from Alice Paul
Alice Paul
Alice Stokes Paul was an American suffragist and activist. Along with Lucy Burns and others, she led a successful campaign for women's suffrage that resulted in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.-Activism: Alice Paul received her undergraduate education from...
, who went on to form the Congressional Union
Congressional Union
The Congressional Union was a radical American organization formed in 1913 and led by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns. It campaigned for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing women’s suffrage. It was inspired by the United Kingdom's suffragette movement....
as a separate national suffrage organization. During her time as leader of the Congressional Committee, she produced an eight-reel melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
Your Girl and Mine, which was intended to help gain support for the suffrage movement. The film never circulated broadly, despite critical praise from contemporary film reviewers, because the distribution agreement between NAWSA and the World Film Corporation fell apart shortly after the premiere in 1914 and the film was confined to private screenings.
McCormick was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Seventy-first Congress
71st United States Congress
The Seventy-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1929 to March 4, 1931, during the first two years...
and served from March 4, 1929 to March 3, 1931 for the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, at-large from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. She was not a candidate for renomination in 1930 since she received the Republican nomination for United States Senator in which election she was unsuccessful. She resumed her newspaper interests. She married Albert Gallatin Simms, of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, who was also a Member of the Seventy-first Congress and resided in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. In 1932 she founded Sandia Preparatory School
Sandia Preparatory School
Sandia Preparatory School is a private, secular college preparatory school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.In 1958, Barbara Young Simms began to investigate the possibility of starting a girls day school in Albuquerque. In 1965, she secured land, established a board of trustees and formed the...
and in 1938 she founded Manzano Day School. She died in Chicago, Illinois in 1944 and was buried in Albuquerque, New Mexico.