Jarvis and Martha Ann (Shaw) Fletcher; ed. Mt. Holyoke Coll., A.B. '92; m. July 19, 1898, Franz Bellinger, Ph.D. Wrote play, A Woman's Sphere, which won the prize offered by the N.Y. World in 1910, and was produced in season of 1911-12 by Henry B. Harris. Author: The Stolen Singer.
BELLOWS, Ida I. Perry (Mrs. Edward C. Bellows), 1422 Gramercy Place, Los Angeles, Cal.
Born Geneva, Wis., Aug. 12, 1859; dau. Olney R. and Susannah (Fellows) Perry; ed. Iowa State Normal School, 1877-78; m. Jesup, Ia., Aug. 28, 1883, Edward C. Bellows. Taught in public schools, 1876-1900. Has been active in the Ebell Club of Los Angeles, first as general curator, later as pres. and director. Against woman suffrage. Progressive Republican. Recreation: Cards. Resided at Yokohama, Japan, 1900-05, husband being U.S. Consul-General at that port.
BELMONT, Alva E. Smith (Mrs. O. H. P. Belmont), 477 Madison Av., N.Y. City.
Born Mobile, Ala.; dau. Murray Forbes and Phoebe Ann Smith (granddaughter of Gen. Robert Desha of Tennessee); ed. in France; m. (1st) 1874, William Kissam Vanderbilt; children: Consuelo, b. 1877 (m. 1895 the Duke of Marlborough) and William K. Vanderbilt Jr., b. 1878, and Harold S. Vanderbilt; m. (2d) 1896, Oliver H. P. Belmont (died 1908). Interested in many philanthropies, notably hospitals, and gave $100,000 to the Nassau Hospital at Mineola, L.I.; has aided many Institutions and efforts to better the condition of women and children. Great leader in woman suffrage movement and has written and spoken frequently on the subject; pres. Political Equality Ass'n, of which she is the founder, and for which she has established headquarters in two houses, 13 and 15 Blast Forty-first St., bought by her solely for this purpose. Has been active in movements to secure better and more sanitary conditions for working women and the abolition of child labor. Has conducted a special department in the Chicago Tribune and otherwise written much upon the reforms in which she is enlisted.
BELMONT, Eleanor Elsie Robson (Mrs. August Belmont), 44 E. Forty-fourth St., N.Y. City.
Former actress; b. Wigan, Lancashire, Eng.; dau. Charles and Madge (Carr) Robson; grad. St. Peter's Acad., S.I., N.Y., '97; m. Feb. 26, 1910, August Belmont (banker and financier). Made professional debut at California Theatre, San Francisco, 1897; played in stock companies in San Francisco, Denver and Milwaukee, 1897-99; as Bonita in Arizona, Chicago and N.Y. City, followed by her creation of Constance in Robert Browning's In a Balcony; Flossie Williams in Unleavened Bread; Mlle. de la Vire in A Gentleman of France; Audrey in Audrey; Juliet in all-star production of Romeo and Juliet. Was starred by Liebler & Co., 1903-05, in a play written for her by Israel Zangwill, Merely Mary Ann, in U.S. and London; in 1905 an elaborate production of She Stoops to Conquer; season of 1906-07 in a repertoire at the Liberty Theatre, N.Y. City, and later created title role in Salomy Jane.
BELSER, Susan Mishler (Mrs. Carl W. Belser), Boulder, Colo.
Born Pearl City, Ill., June 3, 1862; dau. Emanuel and Susan Mishler; ed. country school, Mt. Morris Acad., Mt. Morris, Ill.; Carthage Coll.; Univ. of Mich., A.B. '87; m. Pearl City, Ill., Aug. 24, 1887, Prof. Carl W. Belser; children: Louise, Gertrude, Carl, Ernestine. Teacher before college graduation. Interested in the English Lutheran Mission work, both at Ann Arbor, Mich., and at Boulder, Colo.; planned and helped organize churches and Sunday-schools in both places; engaged in Y.W.C.A. work. Author: The Win and The Way; also writer of magazine articles at Intervals. Mem. Ladles' Fortnightly, Mothers' Club, the Woman's League, of the Univ. In Boulder; mem. of the ex-board of the State Federation of Women's Clubs. Lutheran.
BEMENT, Ruth Ware (Mrs. Edward Dennison Bement), 21 Dennison Av., Framingham, Mass.
Born Roxbury, Oct. 28. 1887; dau. Leonard and Laura D. (Foot) Ware; ed. the Misses May's School, Boston; Miss Hall's School, Pittsfield; m. Roxbury, Mass., Oct. 15, 1910. Edward Dennison Bement; one daughter: Laura. Unitarian.
BENEDICT, Alice M. (Mrs. J. D. Benedict), Muskogee, Okla.
Born Galesburg, Ill., June 24, 1863; dau. William Wallace and Isabel (Firth) Hibbard; ed. Indianapolis, Ind., high school graduate; m. J. D. Benedict; children: Donald, Florence, Bertha. Author of short poems and numerous sketches. Interested in civic work, and is prominently identified with the library board, of which she has been a mem. for two years. Pres. of the Federated Clubs of Muskogee; for two years vice-regent for the State of Okla. for the D.A.R.; pres. New Century Club, Art Club; mem. Music Club. Recreations: China painting, needlework, water colors. Presbyterian.
BENEDICT, Anne Kendrick (Mrs. Wayland R. Benedict), 724 Oak St., Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Author; b. Rochester, N.Y., April 26, 1851; dau. Asahel Clark and Anne Elizabeth (Hopkins) Kendrick; grad. Elmira Coll., B.A.; m. Rochester, N.Y., Oct. 2, 1873, Prof. Wayland R. Benedict; children: Mary, Clarke, Howard, Florence, Stanley, Agnes. Actively interested in educational progress and was an organizer of the Cincinnati Kindergarten Ass'n; has been active in many clubs and organizations in Cincinnati. Author: My Wonder Story; Centa, the Child Violinist; An Island Story; also a volume of poems and various magazine articles. Baptist.
BENEDICT, Elizabeth, Granville, O.
Teacher; b. Iona, Mich., Feb. 14, 1874; dau. Theodore M. Benedict. M.D., and Emma (Tibbits) Benedict; ed. Chicago, Ill.; piano and organ with Harrison Wild; organ in Paris, with Alexander Guilmant. Was organist Highland Park, Ill., and Evanston, Ill.; teacher of piano and organ in Denison University Conservatory of Music, 1903— . Favors woman suffrage. Baptist. Mem. D.A.R.
BENEDICT, Lydia Carrie Le Favor (Mrs. John T. Benedict). 1122 Napoleon Av., New Orleans, La.
Born New Orleans; dau. Thomas Henry and Margaret (Rezeau) Le Favor; ed. public high school in New Orleans; m. Mar. 8, 1877, John T. Benedict; children: Lydia Benedict Crawford, Alice Benedict Dickinson, John T. Jr., Grover Cleveland, Margaret Frances. Officer in Woman's Soc. of Napoleon Av. Presbyterian Church; mem. of board of Travelers' Aid Soc; vice-pres. Grace G. Watts Sunshiners; pres. for seven years of High School Alumnae of New Orleans; on executive board of King's Daughters; mem. Rob. Morris Chapter No. 1. Order of Eastern Star; mem. Y.W.C.A.; five years on exec, board of Public School Alliance; officer Mothers' Club of High School; mem. Folsom and Soldiers' Home Circles of King's Daughters, Fine Arts Club, Woman's Club, Louisiana State Federation of Women's Clubs. Presbyterian.
BENEDICT, Marie A. Potter (Mrs. R. A. Benedict), Cranford, N.J.
Civic worker; b. Baltimore, Md.; dau. C. W. and Demaris (Harker) Potter; ed. in N.Y. City, Twelfth Street Public School and Normal Coll.; m. R. A. Benedict. Started the ball rolling for a sane Fourth of July nineteen years ago and has ever since kept plodding at it until today many of the States have framed laws, not only against the sale of fireworks, but forbidding their manufacture. Believes fully in suffrage and has been active in its advocacy. Pres. Woman's Peace Circle for seven years. Mem. Am. Playgoers, City Mothers, Little Mothers, Legislative, New Yorkers, Portia and Forum clubs (all of N.Y. City).
BENEDICT, Mary Kendrick, Sweet Briar. Va.
Pres. Sweet Briar Coll.; b. Rochester. N.Y., July 14, 1874; dau. Rev. Wayland Richardson Benedict (now emeritus prof. philosophy Univ. of Cincinnati) and Anne Elizabeth (Kendrick) Benedict (author); lived in Cincinnati from early childhood; A.B.. Vassar (Phi Beta Kappa) '97; Ph.D.. Yale '03. Tutor Pittsburgh. 1897-9; teacher State Normal School., Warrensburg, Mo., 1903-06; pres. Sweet Briar Coll., Va., from 1906.
