Representative women of New England/Mary L. Gilman

by Mary H. Graves

MARY LYNCH GILMAN, a Past Department President of the Woman's Relief Corps of Massachusetts and chairman of the Executive Committee of Arrangements for the National Convention in Boston, 1904, was born in Boston at the North End, which was at that time a pleasant residential section of the city. Her father, William Lynch, was a man of liberal ideas, active in public affairs and successful in accumulating property.

The girlhood days of Mary Lynch (Mrs. Gilman) were passed in the vicinity of Copp's Hill and under the shadow of Christ Church. She was graduated from the old Hancock School, and is a member of the Hancock School Alumni Association. Her education was completed at a private institution of learning. In 1870 she married John E. Gilman, who was born December 22, 1844, in South Boston, and has always been a resident of Boston. Mr. Gilman was educated in the primary school on East Street Place and the Quincy and Eliot Grammar Schools. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company E, Twelfth Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, under Colonel Fletcher Webster, and went South to fight for the Union. He was engaged in a number of battles, the last being that of Gettysburg, in July, 1863, where he was severely wounded, a shell striking his right arm and breaking it at the elbow. He was discharged for disability on the 28th of the following October.

Mr. Gilman held different positions in the State House from 1864 until 1883. Since that time he has been in the service of the city of Boston, first as settlement clerk in the institutions department and since April 1, 1901, as commissioner in charge of the soldiers' relief department. He has been a member of the Grand Army of the Republic since 1868, and is a Past Commander of Thomas G. Stevenson Post, No. 26, of Roxbury. He served as Inspector of the Department of Massachusetts, G. A. R., in 1895, Junior Vice-Commander in 1896, Senior Vice-Commander in 1897, delegate at large to the National Encampment in 1898, and Department Commander in 1899, his administration being one of the most successful in the history of the organization.

Mr. Gilman was a member of the Executive Committee of Arrangements and of other committees for the National Encampment of 1904. He takes great interest in all the efforts of his wife in the work of women's organizations, and they have travelled extensively together in all parts of the State and to national gatherings in representing the work of the Grand Army and Woman's Relief Corps. As an eloquent speaker his services are in great demand, and he has often addressed public and social gatherings of the Woman's Relief Corps, to which organization he is sincerely devoted.

At the thirty-eighth National Encampment of the G. A. R., held in Boston, August 15-20, 1904, he was appointed Adjutant-general by the newly elected Commander-in-chief, General Wilmon W. Blackmar.

Mrs. Gilman united with Thomas G. Stevenson Corps, No. 63, of Roxbury, in 1886. As Special Aide to Mrs. Eva T. Cook, of Gloucester, Department President, she performed important duties at the National Convention in Louisville, Ky., having charge of the Massachusetts headquarters at the Gait House. She held successively the offices of Department Inspector, chairman of the Executive Board, Department Junior Vice-President, and Senior Vice-President, and in 1900 was unanimously elected Department President. In that capacity she had charge of the Massachusetts delegation on the trip to the National ConMARY I. GILMAN vention in Chicago, and made many friends among the delegations from the Western States by her able management and courteous manners. One of the pleasing features of her administration was a dinner given in Faneuil Hall to the ex-Prisoners of War Association, which was a brilliant affair.

Throughout the year her official work was conducted in an earnest, dignified, and gracious manner, manifesting her imselfish devotion to the cause. She was the recipient of many courtesies from G. A. R. posts, and she retired from the presidency with the respect of all officers and her associates.

During her term the relief expenditures in Massachusetts amounted to nearly twenty thousantl dollars, and over a thou.sand dollars additional were expended for Memorial Day work in the South, Andersonville Prison property, aid for veterans who suffered in the Galveston (Tex.) disaster, and in other relief outside the regular work in this State. In her annual address, presented to the Twenty-second Annual Convention, held in Boston in February, 1901, she said: "Throughout the year I have constantly borne in mind the honor and the responsibility confided in me, and it has been ever my aim so to perform the duties of my office as to deserve your approbation. You will be gratified to know that by reason of greatest membership and most generous dispensation of relief the dawn of the twentieth century finds us still occupying that proud and enviable position, the banner department of the Woman's Relief Corps."

As a warm friend to the army nurses, she referred to their society in Massachusetts as follows: "This worthy and unique association appeals with peculiar force to the sympathy and friendship of the members of our order. ... I charge you to let no army nurse lack the comforts of life while a dollar remains in the treasuries of the corps of this department."

Appointed and installed as Department Counselor at the close of this convention, she rendered excellent service during the administration of Mrs. Evans, her successor. Mrs. Gilman has been a National Aide, a member of committees at National Conventions, and at the convention in Washington, D.C., in 1902, was elected chairman of the National Executive Board.

As chairman of the Executive Committee of Arrangements for the National Convention of 1904 in Boston, she devoted the summer to the work of preparation for this gathering of women, representing a membership of one hundred and fifty thousand. A friend, referring to her qualifications for office, recently wrote: "Mrs. Gilman is a woman of fine executive ability and fearless integrity, patriotic, benevolent, tactful, and broad-minded, in every way a suitable leader for so great an undertaking." She is a member of the Ladies' Aid Association of the Soldiers' Home in Massachusetts. She is a woman of musical accomplishments, a pleasing conversationalist, and, as a speaker at public gatherings, is always listened to with interest. Mrs. Gilman was invited by Mrs. Alice M. Goddard, chairman of the Entertainment Committee, to preside at the great camp-fire of the Woman's Relief Corps held in Mechanics' Building on the evening of August 18, 1904. There were more than ten thousand people present on the occasion of this memorable gathering, which was honored by the presence of national and State officials. Mrs. Oilman's gracious manner in presiding added to the interest of this important event in the programme of Encampment Week in Boston.

Associated with Mrs. Gilman in her work for the National Convention was Mrs. Clara H. B. Evans, of Pittsfield, Mass., under whose administration as Department President in 1903 the preliminary plans were inaugurated. Mrs. Evans, after conducting a successful year's work and proving herself an able leader, travelling twenty-five thousand miles in the performance of her duties, was chosen chairman of the General Committee for the National Convention. Having had charge of the delegation to California the year previous, she was well fitted for the duties of her position.

Among the visitors to Boston during National Encampment Week were many thousand women from all sections of the country, and those from the West and South received a royal welcome from the patriotic women of New England.

Mr. and Mrs. Gilman reside in Roxbury. They have two sons, John E. Gilman, Jr., and William L. T., both graduates of Harvard University and engage*! in the profession of law in Boston. The elder son is this year Adjutant of the Massachusetts Division of the Sons of Veterans.