Grace Allen Johnson, educator, suffragist, civic reformer, internationalist, and lecturer, was born on September 29, 1871, in Maples, Ind., the fourth of the five daughters of Elizabeth Harriet (Bennett) and Appleton Howe Fitch, both from New England. Among her sisters was the well-known children's author and illustrator Lucy (Fitch) Perkins. The family lived in Indiana and Michigan, settling for a time in Kalamazoo; they returned to Hopkinton, Mass. (ancestral home of the Howe and Fitch families), when Grace was fourteen. She attended public school, graduating in 1890. Her adult life is summarized in the following chronology.
1891
Graduates from Pratt Institute Library School, Brooklyn, N.Y.
1891
1892
Works as assistant reference librarian, Pratt Institute
1892
Moves with family to Evanston, Ill.; studies botany at Harvard Summer School
1893
Marries Lewis Jerome Johnson (Harvard A.B. 1887, C.E. 1888) in June
1893
1894
Studies chemistry at Northwestern University
1894
Moves to Cambridge, Mass., where husband joins Engineering Department of Harvard University
1896
Hhas son, Jerome Allen
1902
Has second son, Chandler Winslow
1907
Travels to Europe with family, becomes interested in woman suffrage
1911
1915
Serves as president, Cambridge Political Equality Association
1912
One of three Massachusetts women delegates to Progressive Party national convention in Chicago; campaigns for Progressive Party candidates
1912
1914
President, Cambridge Public School Association
1914
1917
Congressional chairman, Middlesex County and Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association (MWSA)
1915
1917
Member, National Council, National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)
1917
Chairman, State Board of MWSA
1918
Defeat of anti-suffrage Sen. John Weeks (Mass.)
1919
1920
With Mary P. Sleeper, edits A Citizen's Guide for Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government
1919
1940
Lecturer, Garland School for Homemaking, Boston
1920
Name entered on honor roll of NAWSA
1922
Executive secretary, Massachusetts Woodrow Wilson Foundation
1923
Member of Council, Massachusetts Foreign Policy Association
1924
Attends Women's International League for Peace and Freedom convention, Washington, D.C.
1925
Member, Board of Directors, Massachusetts League of Nations Association (LNA)
1926
1933
Chairman (state), Educational Committee, LNA
1926
Spends Sept. in Geneva, Switzerland, attending commissions, council, and assembly of League of Nations
1927
1938
Lecturer, Wheelock Kindergarten Training School
1928
Campaigns for Herbert Hoover
1929
Member, Massachusetts Women's Law Enforcement Committee
1929
1930
Lecturer, Boston University School of Education; lecturer, Massachusetts Department of Education, University Extension
1930
1938
President, Board of Trustees, Garland School
1930
Name entered on 10th anniversary honor roll of suffrage pioneers; member, National Council, LNA; writes Text for a Model Council and A Model Assembly of the League of Nations; writes The Dispute between Bolivia and Paraguay, 1930; testifies before U.S. Congress in support of prohibition
1931
Writes The Case of the S.S. Lotus and the World Court; produces map showing disputes settled by World Court
1932
Writes and supervises production of The Dispute Between China and Japan over Manchuria: A Dramatization of the 65th Session of the Council of the League of Nations
1933
With Sir Herbert Ames, writes The Case of China and Japan before the League of Nations: A Dramatization of the Events of 1931-1933
1937
Public Forum leader (U.S. Department of Interior, Office of Education), Manchester, N.H.
1940
Delegate to Woman's Centennial Congress; Cambridge (Mass.) adopts "Plan E" form of government
1952
Dies on January 17
Politically liberal, GAJ was an activist for woman suffrage, for United States participation in the League of Nations (and later the United Nations) and World Court, and for various civic reforms (e.g., initiative and referendum, proportional representation). She defined herself as an educator, lecturing and writing on a wide range of topics including suffrage, the status of women, prohibition, aspects of democracy and government structure, international cooperation, and public speaking techniques. Her husband, a civil engineer, shared her political beliefs; he published numerous pamphlets on political reform.
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