Josephine Irwin

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Josephine Saxer Irwin
Born(1890-03-01)March 1, 1890
Lakewood, Ohio
DiedSeptember 15, 1984(1984-09-15) (aged 94)
Occupation(s)Suffragist, educator
AwardsOhio Women's Hall of Fame

Josephine Saxer Irwin (March 1, 1890 – September 15, 1984) was an American suffragist and educator. She worked with numerous suffrage organizations and was a strong advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment. Irwin was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1983.

Biography

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Irwin was born in Lakewood, Ohio on March 1, 1890.[1] Her father died when she was young, and watching her mother struggle as a single parent inspired her to support the suffrage cause.[2] Irwin graduated from the School of Education in Western Reserve University in 1910.[1] She taught at local elementary schools through 1919.[2]

On October 3, 1914, Irwin participated in a suffrage parade that marched down Euclid Avenue in Cleveland.[3] After the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which recognized the right of women to vote, she helped form the Cleveland chapter of League of Women Voters.[2] She was also a member of the Women's Equity Action League and the National Organization for Women.[4]

After the end of World War II, she served as chair for the Ohio chapter of the Women's Action Committee for Lasting Peace.[5] She served on the Fairview Park City Council from 1958 to 1962, the first woman to do so.[6] Irwin acknowledged that she was chosen as a token woman and that the other council members ignored her input.[3]

Irwin was a strong advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).[7] In February 1975, she gave a "moving speech" to the Ohio Coalition for the Implementation of the Equal Rights Amendment on the need for passage of the amendment.[2] On August 26, 1976, on the 56th anniversary of the certification of the 19th amendment, she repeated her 1914 march down Euclid Avenue in continued support of women's equality.[8] In 1982, at age 92, Irwin lamented that more hadn't been done to pass the ERA.[7]

Death and legacy

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Irwin died on September 15, 1984.[1] In honor of her passing, Ohio representative Mary Rose Oakar called her a "pioneer and woman of courage".[9]

Irwin was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1983 in recognition of her advocacy for women's suffrage.[10]

The Cleveland chapter of the National Organization for Women presents the Josephine Irwin Award to honor women who have contributed to the cause of women's rights.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Morton, Marian (March 28, 2019). "Irwin, Josephine Saxer". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Savoca, Charlene. "Biographical Sketch of Josephine Saxer Irwin". Alexander Street. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Kaszar, Susy (April 12, 1977). "Feminism thrives: Suffragist says world needs 'civilizing influence of women'". Daily Kent Stater. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  4. ^ Rader, Peggy (September 10, 1974). "Over-80 Suffragist Applies Old Spirit to New Movement". The Bradenton Herald. Retrieved November 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Fairview Park resident and suffragist Josephine Saxer Irwin remembered". The Plain Dealer. October 12, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Barnett, Frank (2008). Fairview Park. Arcadia Publishing. p. 102. ISBN 9780738552040. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Ulsh, Jacqueline J. (October 17, 1982). "Suffragist, 92, still urges women to use vote power". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved November 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Byland, Kathleen (August 27, 1976). "Rights leader marches on: 1914 suffragist is now campaigning for the ERA". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 9, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the Congress. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1984. p. 28159. Retrieved November 9, 2025.
  10. ^ "Josephine Irwin". Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. 1983. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
  11. ^ Stuber, Irene. "Women of Achievement and Herstory". TheLizLibrary.org. Retrieved November 9, 2025.