Program

National Votes for Women Trail

Subject

House, People

Location

1 McCurdy Rd, Old Lyme, CT 06371, USA

Lat/Long

41.312519, -72.331625

Grant Recipient

National Collaborative for Women's History Sites

Katharine Ludington (1869-1953), a longtime resident of Old Lyme in New London County, Connecticut, was a leader in the fight for women’s suffrage. She served as chair of the New London County Suffrage Association starting in 1912 and later as president of Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association from 1917 to 1920.

After years of activism by suffragists like Ludington, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was finally passed in June 1919 and ratified by August 1920, securing women’s right to vote. Once women had achieved the right to vote, Ludington continued to remain active in civic affairs, serving as a national leader in the newly established League of Women Voters (LWV), which was formed out of existing national suffrage organizations in order to encourage and help women exercise their newly acquired right. The National American Woman Suffrage Association victory convention in Chicago in February 1920 was held in celebration of the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment by the United States Congress. At this convention, Ludington was elected director of the New England regional LWV. The following year, Ludington helped to establish the Connecticut LWV, serving as its president for twelve years.

Ludington had a long and active career. She served as a trustee of Connecticut College. She also played an integral part in the passage of a jury duty bill by Connecticut Governor Wilbur L. Cross in 1937. The bill secured jury service rights for women in the state, allowing women to serve on juries.

Ludington died at 83 years old in her home in Old Lyme, Connecticut on March 7, 1953. She was buried in Duck River Cemetery, Old Lyme. Her obituary published in the Hartford Courant reads:

And Connecticut has always had reason to be proud of Miss Ludington’s career, because she exemplified the qualities of wisdom, combined with courage in her determination to advance the status of women.