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Miss Matilda Hindman, for many years one of the most prominent advocates
of woman's suffrage in the United States, and a prominent local club woman is
dead at the old family homestead near Monongahela City, Washington County,
Pa. Miss Hindman's death occurred Tuesday night after a long illness, and was
due to a general breakdown of the sustem. She died in the home which her
family had occupied for over 60 years. and in which she was born. Miss Hindman was
descended from early settlers of Washington county, and on her mothers side from the famous Campbell family of Scotland. Her ancestors
always took a prominent part in public affairs, and from them Miss Hindman
inherited much literary ability.
She was for many years a well-known writer, many articles from her pen
appearing in the leading magazines and newspapers of the country. She was an
ardent advocate of reforms and many of her articles were published in The
Gazette. Miss Hindman held throughout her long life as one of her leading
principals that any woman who consented to do a mans work for less than a
mans wages was wronging not only her own sex, but the whole army of wageworkers. She entered Mt. Union college and took the regular course with
the men students.
In 1860 she was graduated with the degree of bachelor of arts, being the
first woman to attain the degree of M. A. in any college or school either in
the United States or Europe. The fact that Miss Hindman had won the degree
was commented upon by all the large papers of this country and Europe. At
the commencement exercises at Mt. Union college she delivered her oration
from the platform upon which seven men graduates sat, and her address was so
far above the average commencement oration that a brilliant future was predicted for her as a speaker. This prediction was made good by her in
later life, as she for about 25 years lectured in almost every state in the
country in the interest of various reforms and had a personal acquaintance
with almost every woman of prominence in the United States. On the lecture
platform hers was a familiar figure along with those of Julia Ward Hewe, Mrs.
Mary A. Livermore, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, H. B. Blockwell
and others.
Miss Hindman spent much of her life in campaign work for woman's
suffrage, appearing before ecclesiastical and legislative bodies, constitutional and congressional
committees.
Miss Hindman was one of the most active club women of the country, and
on many occasions lectured on parliamentary law before women's clubs in many
cities. In 1882 she was elected the vice president for Pennsylvania of the
National Woman's Suffrage association and was president of the State Federal
Suffrage association. Miss Hindman was the first president of the local
Woman's Suffrage club, holding that position for many years. She was a former president of the Travelers club, and when that
organization split, those who succeeded organized the present New Era club,
the name being suggested by Miss Hindman. In her youth Miss Hindman was a
pupil of the late Judge J. W. F. White of this county, and it is related that
Judge White in his after career at the local bar had declared Miss Hindman
the brightest pupil he had ever taught. Miss Hindman was also a relative of
Edward Campbell, former prothonotary of this county.
She is survived by two sisters, Miss Jennie Hindman, probation officer
for Allegheny county, and Mrs. M. H. Wright, a former newspaper man of Pittsburgh. Funeral services will held at the Mingo Presbyterian church,
near Finleyville, at 10:30 o'clock this morning. The interment will be made
in the old family burial ground at Mingo cemetery. |
