Tuttle, Florence Guertin, 1869-1951

Florence and Frank Tuttle in Palm Beach, FL, circa 1909

Florence Guertin Tuttle was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1869 to Lucy Henry, a descendent of Patrick Henry, and Pierre Guertin, a merchant and French-Canadian immigrant. Educated at a small private school, the Nassau Institute, Guertin was an avid reader and a prolific writer of poems and stories. As a young adult, Guertin was involved in one of the first women's clubs, the Avitas Club, where she was exposed to speakers such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In her late twenties she married Frank Day Tuttle (Yale class of 1887) and the couple settled in Brooklyn Heights, New York. Their sons, Day and Guertin Tuttle, were born in 1902 and 1904. When the children were small, Tuttle devoted part of her time to many causes including women's suffrage, the Woman's Peace Party and birth control. In 1915 she published The Awakening of Woman: Suggestions from the Psychic Side of Feminism and in 1917 a collection of stories entitled Give My Love to Maria.

Devastated by the horrors of World War I, Tuttle became a strong advocate for internationalism. In this new role she became Chair of the Women's Pro-League Council in 1920 and attended numerous meetings of the Council of the League of Nations in Geneva. There she befriended many important people such as First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson and Carrie Chapman Catt. During this time she also wrote Women and World Federation (1919) as well as numerous articles and leaflets on world cooperation, economic causes of war, and the League of Nations. In 1932 she was selected by Carrie Chapman Catt to be a delegate to the Disarmament Conference in Geneva. Tuttle was in great demand as a speaker about peace and internationalism. She became the Executive Chairman of the Greater New York Branch of the League of Nations Non-Partisan Association in 1924 and published two more books, including Alternatives to War (1931) before her death in 1951.

From the guide to the Florence Guertin Tuttle Papers, 1917-1948, (Sophia Smith Collection)

Author; Pacifist; Feminist.

Florence Guertin Tuttle (1869-1951) was born in Brooklyn, NY; educated at Nassau Institute; and as a young woman attended the Avitas Club, one of the first women's clubs, where she was exposed to speakers such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Married Frank Day Tuttle and had two sons, born 1902 and 1904. Was involved in the women's suffrage movement, the birth control rights movement (with Margaret Sanger), and a member of the World Peace Party (with Jane Addams), in the early 1900's. During WWI, she became a strong advocate of internationalism; became Chair of the Women's Pro-League Council, 1920; attended meetings of the Council of the League of Nations in Geneva (where she befriended such people as First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson and Carrie Chapman Catt); and became Executive Chairman of the Greater New York Branch of the League of Nations Non-Partisan Association in 1924. Wrote several books, articles and leaflets on world peace, the economic causes of war, world cooperation, and women's rights. She was in great demand as a speaker on peace and internationalism.

From the description of Papers, 1917-1948. (Smith College). WorldCat record id: 49523157