Brown, Gertrude Foster, 1867-1956

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Gertrude (Foster) Brown was born in Morrison, Illinois, on July 29, 1867, to Charles Foster and Anna (Drake) Foster. Musical as a child, Brown studied piano at home and then entered the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, graduating in August 1885 after completing the four-year course in two years. She taught piano for a year at a private school in Dayton, Ohio, then studied in Berlin with Xaver Scharwenka and in Paris with Delaborde. She made her professional debut as a pianist with the Philharmonic Orchestra in Berlin on January 25, 1889.

In 1889, Brown joined the staff of the Chicago Conservatory of Music, teaching and performing in conservatory concerts. In August 1893 she married Arthur Raymond Brown, an artist and newspaperman. They had no children. In 1896, the Browns moved to New York, and by 1900 she was touring the United States lecturing on Richard Wagner's operas.

After an illness in about 1905, Brown began to focus increasingly on the issue of woman suffrage. She organized a Woman Suffrage Study Club (later merged with the Woman Suffrage Party) in 1909, attended the 42nd annual convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) in 1910, and was elected president of the New York State Woman Suffrage Association (NYSWSA) in 1914. While chairman of the NYSWSA, she wrote Your Vote and How to Use It, which was published by Harper's in 1918. In 1921 Carrie Chapman Catt asked Brown to take control of The Woman's Journal. The magazine was renamed The Woman Citizen and Brown was the general manager until its demise in 1931.

During World War I, Brown served as liaison officer for the Women's Overseas Hospitals in France. She was also an active member of the League of Women Voters and the New York Woman's City Club. In the 1930s, Brown and her husband traveled extensively in Europe and North Africa. During World War II she was active in the Women's Action Committee for Victory and Lasting Peace.

Raymond Brown died on April 30, 1944. Gertrude Foster Brown died on March 1, 1956.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Papers of Gertrude Foster Brown, 1822-1978 (inclusive), 1910-1949 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Roberts, Margaret Stevenson, 1872-1952. Papers, 1896-1956 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Gellhorn, Edna Fischel, 1878-1970. Papers, 1919-1960 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers, 1889-1957, n.d. Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Woman's rights collection, 1853-1958 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Papers of Gertrude Foster Brown, 1822-1978 (inclusive), 1910-1949 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Gellhorn, Edna Fischel, 1878-1970. Papers, 1919-1960 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Suffrage collection, 1851-2009 (Bulk: 1880s-1920s) Smith College, Neilson Library
creatorOf Brown, Gertrude Foster. To the election district captains of Long Island, 1915 Oct. 26. Pennsylvania State University Libraries
referencedIn Sherwin, Belle, 1868-1955. Papers, 1880-1955 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Seton-Thompson, Grace Gallatin. Papers, 1878-1989 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers, 1867, 1895, 1902-1948 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Berenson, Bernard and Mary. Papers, 1880-2002, 1880-2002 Biblioteca Berenson, Villa I Tatti - The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies
creatorOf Additional papers of Gertrude Foster Brown, 1732-1956 (inclusive), 1815-1956 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Roberts, Margaret Stevenson, 1872-1952. Papers, 1896-1956 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers of Mary Ware Dennett Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Whitehouse, Vira Boarman, 1875-1957. Papers, 1889-1957 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers of Helen Brewster Owens, 1867-1948 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Woman's rights collection, 1853-1958 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Laidlaw, Harriet Burton, 1873-1949. Papers, 1851-1958 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Sherwin, Belle, 1868-1955. Papers, 1880-1955 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Adams, Mildred, 1894-1980. Papers, 1934-1980 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Ames, Blanche. Papers, 1860-1961 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers of Mary Ware Dennett Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers, 1936-1963 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Seton-Thompson, Grace Gallatin, 1879-1959. Papers, 1860s-1993 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
creatorOf Additional papers of Gertrude Foster Brown, 1732-1956 (inclusive), 1815-1956 (bulk) Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Laidlaw, H. B. (Harriet Burton), b. 1874. Papers: Series V-VII, 1906-1947 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Woman Suffrage Study Club. Records, 1909-1913 (inclusive). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Suffrage Collection MS 447., 1851-2009, 1880s-1920s Sophia Smith Collection
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Adams, Mildred, 1894-1980. person
associatedWith Alfred Converse person
associatedWith Ames, Blanche. person
correspondedWith Anna (Foster) Quackenbush person
associatedWith Ansermet, Ernest, 1883-1969. person
associatedWith Bandarlog Press corporateBody
associatedWith Berenson, Bernard, 1865-1959 person
associatedWith Berenson, Mary, 1864-1945 person
associatedWith Brown, Arthur Raymond, 1865-1944 person
associatedWith Brown family family
associatedWith Brown, Marianna Ward, 1825-1923. person
associatedWith Brown, Samuel Watson, 1828-1866 person
associatedWith Bülow, Hans von, 1830-1894. person
associatedWith Caroline Cutler person
associatedWith Carrie Chapman Catt Memorial Fund. corporateBody
associatedWith Catherine Fiske person
associatedWith Catt, Carrie Chapman, 1859-1947 person
associatedWith Dennett, Mary Ware, 1872-1947. person
associatedWith Eliza Payson person
correspondedWith Foster Adams person
correspondedWith Foster, Charlotte person
associatedWith Foster family family
associatedWith Foster family. family
associatedWith Gellhorn, Edna Fischel, 1878-1970. person
associatedWith Gibson, Charles Dana, 1867-1944 person
associatedWith Henry Dana Artemas Ward person
associatedWith Joel Raymond person
correspondedWith Josephine F. Adams person
correspondedWith Josephine Foster person
associatedWith Kenyon, Mildred (Adams), 1894-1980 person
associatedWith Ketchum, Ethel, person
associatedWith Laidlaw, Harriet Wright (Burton), 1873-1949 person
associatedWith Laidlaw, H. B. (Harriet Burton), b. 1874. person
associatedWith Landowska, Wanda, 1877-1959 person
associatedWith Linda Raymond Ward person
associatedWith Margaret Stephenson Roberts, d. 1952 person
associatedWith Mary (Ball) Raymond person
associatedWith Miller, Alice Duer, 1874-1942. person
associatedWith National American Woman Suffrage Association corporateBody
associatedWith New England Conservatory of Music corporateBody
associatedWith New York State Woman Suffrage Association corporateBody
associatedWith Ohio, Marietta person
associatedWith Owens, Helen Brewster, 1881-1968. person
associatedWith Phoebe Ward person
associatedWith Polly (Raymond) Cutler person
associatedWith Raymond family family
correspondedWith Raymond, Linda person
associatedWith Raymond, Paul person
correspondedWith Reeve, Lella person
associatedWith Roberts, Margaret Stephenson, d.1952. person
associatedWith Sawyer, Sophia person
associatedWith Scharwenka, Franz Xaver, 1850-1924 person
associatedWith Seton-Thompson, Grace Gallatin. person
associatedWith Sherwin, Belle, 1868-1955. person
associatedWith Skinner, Cornelia Otis, 1901-1979. person
associatedWith Skinner, Otis, 1858-1942 person
correspondedWith Sydney A. Reeve person
correspondedWith Thurston, Philomelia person
associatedWith Vira Boarman Whitehouse, 1875-1957 person
associatedWith von Bulow, Hans person
associatedWith Ward, Artemas, 1727-1800 person
associatedWith Ward, Benjamin, 1793-1828 person
associatedWith Ward family family
associatedWith Ward family. family
associatedWith Ward, Henry Dana, 1797-1884 person
associatedWith Ward, Henry Dana Artemas person
associatedWith Ward, Linda Raymond, 1797-1834 person
associatedWith Ward, Marianna. person
associatedWith Whitehouse, Vira Boarman, 1875-1957. person
associatedWith Whitehouse, Vira Ogden, 1875-1919. person
associatedWith Woman Citizen corporateBody
associatedWith Woman Citizen Corporation corporateBody
associatedWith Woman Suffrage Study Club. corporateBody
associatedWith Women's Action Committee for a Lasting Peace corporateBody
associatedWith Women's Action Committee for Victory and Lasting Peace corporateBody
associatedWith Women's Overseas Hospitals corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Westport CT US
Morrison IL US
Subject
Musicians
Suffrage
Artists
Teachers
Carrie Chapman Catt Memorial Fund
Children's literature
Courtship
Family records
Marriage
Newspapers
Nurses
Pianists
Pianists
Pianists
World War, 1914-1918
World War, 1914-1918
Widows
Women
Women musicians
Women musicians
Women pianists
Occupation
Teachers
Journalists
Pianists
Suffragists
Activity

Person

English

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Ark ID: w60w93t6

SNAC ID: 85036963