Anna Kelton Wiley, 1877-1964

Anna Kelton Wiley was born in Oakland, California in 1877. She graduated from George Washington University, Washington, DC, in 1897 and worked in various government offices. She married Dr. Harvey W. Wiley, Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry, in 1911; they had two children, Harvey, Jr. and John P.

Anna Wiley was active in various Washington organizations for fifty-five years. As a suffragist she spent five days in jail for picketing the White House in 1917. She served as Chairman of the National Woman's Party (1930-1932, 1940-1942) as well as editor (1940-1945) of its periodical, Equal Rights . She belonged to over forty organizations, as diverse as the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Consumers' League. Using her knowledge of and interest in politics, she lobbied for legislation on behalf of many of these organizations.