Mary Elliott Flanery
Encyclopedia
Mary Elliott Flanery was an American
progressive era
social reformer, suffragist, politician, and journalist who is best remembered as the first women elected to the Kentucky General Assembly
and first women elected to a state legislature south of the Mason Dixon Line. Flanery was an advocate for equal rights for women, and actively worked to pass legislation that would give women the right to vote.
that would later become Elliott County, Kentucky
. After completing her schooling at Barboursville College
in West Virginia and the University of Kentucky
, she was a public school teacher.
. The Flanery family moved to Pikeville, Kentucky
in 1896 for Harvey to work for Northern Coal and Coke as an attorney.
Harvey and Mary had five children together; Sue, Merle, Dawn, Dew, and John.
Flanery "discovered" female African-American poet Effie Waller Smith, who live and worked in Pike County, Kentucky.
and won by a 250 vote margin. When Flanery took her seat in the lower house of the General Assembly in January 1922, she was the first female state legislator elected in Kentucky and the first female legislator elected south of the Mason Dixon Line.
As an legislator, Flanery continued her advocacy for women's rights. She urged her colleagues to change legislation about marriage and divorce, and to implement the federal Shepard-Towner Maternity Act, a progressive era program that provided medical care to pregnant women and their children.
Flanery's time in the General Assembly ended with an unsuccessful campaign for Secretary of State in 1923. She was defeated by another female trailblazer, Emma Guy Cromwell
, who was the first female to hold a state wide office. Flanery stayed active in politics and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1924.
of Kentucky. She was a member of the Daughters of the Revolution and in 1926, she founded the John Milton Elliott chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
.
in Ashland, Kentucky
.
. In 2005, Kentucky Commission on Women recognized her by add her portrait to the "Kentucky Women Remembered" exhibit at the Kentucky State Capitol building.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
progressive era
Progressive Era
The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of social activism and political reform that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s. One main goal of the Progressive movement was purification of government, as Progressives tried to eliminate corruption by exposing and undercutting political...
social reformer, suffragist, politician, and journalist who is best remembered as the first women elected to the Kentucky General Assembly
Kentucky General Assembly
The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky.The General Assembly meets annually in the state capitol building in Frankfort, Kentucky, convening on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January...
and first women elected to a state legislature south of the Mason Dixon Line. Flanery was an advocate for equal rights for women, and actively worked to pass legislation that would give women the right to vote.
Family and early life
Mary Elliott, daughter of Benjamin Franklin Elliott and Nancy (Kegley) Elliott, was born April 27, 1867 in a part of Carter County, KentuckyCarter County, Kentucky
Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1838 and was named for William Grayson Carter, a state senator at the time of its creation. The county seat is named for his uncle, Robert Grayson. As of 2000, the population was 26,889. Its county seat is Grayson,...
that would later become Elliott County, Kentucky
Elliott County, Kentucky
Elliott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1869. As of 2000, the population is 6,748. Its county seat is Sandy Hook, Kentucky. The county is named for John Milton Elliott, U.S. Congressman; Confederate Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals...
. After completing her schooling at Barboursville College
University of Charleston
The University of Charleston is a private university in Charleston, West Virginia, United States of over 1,300 students.-History:The school was founded in 1888 as the Barboursville Seminary of the Southern Methodist Church...
in West Virginia and the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
, she was a public school teacher.
Family
Mary married William "Harvey" Flanery on June 28, 1893, and moved with him to Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. The Flanery family moved to Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville, Kentucky
Pikeville is a city in Pike County, Kentucky. The population was 6,903 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Pike County.-History:On March 25, 1822, the county's government officials decided to build a new county seat named Liberty, one and one-half mile below the mouth of the Russell Fork...
in 1896 for Harvey to work for Northern Coal and Coke as an attorney.
Harvey and Mary had five children together; Sue, Merle, Dawn, Dew, and John.
Journalism and literary interests
While residing in Pikeville, Mary Flanery began a career as a writer. From 1904 until 1926, she worked as a journalist for the Ashland Daily Independent. She wrote a column called “Impressions of Kentucky’s Legislature,” and she advocated for legislation as a means for social reform.Flanery "discovered" female African-American poet Effie Waller Smith, who live and worked in Pike County, Kentucky.
Women's rights advocate
Flanery was a member of the Kentucky Equal Right Association, and actively worked for women to have the right to vote. She worked for to improve the lives of women through reform of suffrage, marriage, and divorce laws.Kentucky Legislator
After women gained suffrage in Kentucky, in 1921, Flanery ran as the Democratic party candidate for a seat in the Kentucky House of Representative from the 89th District representing Boyd County, KentuckyBoyd County, Kentucky
Boyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1860. Its are found at the northeastern edge of the state the near the Ohio River and Big Sandy River, nestled in the verdant rolling hills of Appalachia. The county seat is Catlettsburg. Its largest municipality is...
and won by a 250 vote margin. When Flanery took her seat in the lower house of the General Assembly in January 1922, she was the first female state legislator elected in Kentucky and the first female legislator elected south of the Mason Dixon Line.
As an legislator, Flanery continued her advocacy for women's rights. She urged her colleagues to change legislation about marriage and divorce, and to implement the federal Shepard-Towner Maternity Act, a progressive era program that provided medical care to pregnant women and their children.
Flanery's time in the General Assembly ended with an unsuccessful campaign for Secretary of State in 1923. She was defeated by another female trailblazer, Emma Guy Cromwell
Emma Guy Cromwell
Emma Guy Cromwell was a suffragist, women's rights activist, and early female Democratic Party politician from Kentucky in the United States. Cromwell became the first woman to hold a statewide office in Kentucky when she was elected state librarian in 1896 by a vote of the Kentucky State Senate...
, who was the first female to hold a state wide office. Flanery stayed active in politics and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1924.
Later life, death, and legacy
Flanery was active member of in the General Federation of Women's ClubsGeneral Federation of Women's Clubs
The General Federation of Women's Clubs , founded in 1890, is an international women's organization dedicated to community improvement by enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service...
of Kentucky. She was a member of the Daughters of the Revolution and in 1926, she founded the John Milton Elliott chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
United Daughters of the Confederacy
The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
.
Death
Flanery died at her residence, Elliot Hall, in Cattlettsburg on July 19, 1933, and was buried at Ashland CemeteryAshland Cemetery (Kentucky)
Ashland Cemetery Company is a history cemetery located in Ashland, Kentucky in the United States. -History:Ashland Cemetery Company was founded in 1870 by Hugh Means, R.D. Callihan, Dr. Hiram Ferguson, W.C. Ireland, Dr. J.W. Martin, Joseph H. Alexander, John Kraus, John Means, and R.W. Lampton...
in Ashland, Kentucky
Ashland, Kentucky
Ashland, formerly known as Poage Settlement, is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States, nestled along the banks of the Ohio River. The population was 21,981 at the 2000 census. Ashland is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the...
.
Legacy
After Flanery became the first woman elected to the Kentucky State legislature, she was honored by the Kentucky Historical Society as Kentucky's Most Prominent Female. Mary Elliott Flanery is remembered today as a trailblazer for her work as a social reformer and her advocacy for women's rights through her work as a journalist and politician. In 1963, the Kentucky General Assembly honored Flanery by placing a bronze plaque at her desk in the Kentucky House of RepresentativesKentucky House of Representatives
The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form a House district, except when necessary to preserve...
. In 2005, Kentucky Commission on Women recognized her by add her portrait to the "Kentucky Women Remembered" exhibit at the Kentucky State Capitol building.