Woman of the Century/Cornelia Collins Hussey

CORNELIA COLLINS HUSSEY. HUSSEY, Mrs. Cornelia Collins, philanthropist, born in New York in 1827. Her maiden name was Collins. She is a member of the Society of Friends, to which sect her family have belonged for several generations. In early years she was in sympathy with the anti-slavery movement, and before reaching her majority became a manager of the Colored Orphan Asylum in her native city. In 1851 Miss Collins became the wife of William H. Hussey, of New Bedford, a man of similar tendencies with herself. About that time she became acquainted with Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, who had just settled in medical practice in New York. Dr. Blackwell became Mrs. Hussey 's medical adviser, and some years afterwards, in cooperation with her and several other ladies and gentlemen, among whom was the late Cyrus W. Field, she formed a body of trustees for the New York Infirmary for Women and Children. The purpose of that society was to give poor women medical treatment at the hands of their own sex. From that hospital was developed in the course of time a medical college for women. Later Mrs. Hussey's only daughter studied her profession first in the college and then in the infirmary. The family moved to Orange, N. J. As her children grew up, Mrs. Hussey took an active interest in the woman suffrage agitation, and became a member of the executive committee of the American Suffrage Association, and subsequently, on the request of Miss Anthony, she was made vice-president for New Jersey of the National Suffrage Association. She retained those positions during a number of years. In 1876 efforts were made in several large cities to permit the licensing of the social evil, and Mrs. Hussey, always interested in efforts for social purity, was chosen secretary of the committee formed to oppose such evil legislation. When that work had been brought to a successful termination, Mrs. Hussey became interested in the claim of Miss Anna Ella Carroll for a government pension, on account of services rendered during the war and her plans of the Tennessee campaign. Through her efforts considerable sums of money were raised by private subscription, and articles were published in some of the leading magazines on the work of Miss Carroll. During the last twenty years Mrs. Hussey has contributed numerous articles to the " Woman's Journal " and various other reform periodicals, as well as to the papers of her State.