Dewson, Mary Williams (1874-1962) Also known as: Molly Dewson

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Member of (2)
Mentioned in (1)
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National Conference of Charities and Corrections Conference Program Draft, March 18, 1909

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Birth Date

1874-02-18

Death Date

1962-10-21

Birthplace

Quincy, Massachusetts

Biographical Text

Mary Dewson attended three private schools, one being the Dana Hall School. For college, she attended Wellesley College, where she served as president for her class. After college, Dewson worked as a secretary for the Domestic Reform Committee of the Women's Educational and the Industrial Union, where she conducted studies on home life, reorganized the club's employment office, formed clubs for domestic workers, and taught housekeeping. She wrote The Twentieth Century Expense Book, which explained how to manage a home on a budget. In 1900, she organized the Massachusetts State Industrial School for Girls' parole department. Dewson was also executive secretary of the Minimum Wage Investigative Committee. During World War I, Dewson traveled to France with the American Red Cross to help war refugees. Afterwards, Dewson became Florence Kelley's principal assistant in the National Consumers' League, and she campaigned for minimum wage laws. She was also president of the New York Consumers' League, civic secretary of the Women's City Club, and worked on political campaigns with Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt. She later became a member of the Social Security Board. She was a fervent supporter of women's suffrage. After retirement, Dewson still worked as the vice-president of the Maine Democratic Advisory Committee.

Dewson had a lifelong partner, Mary G. Polly Porter, who worked alongside Dewson in many of her endeavors. Dewson sometimes went by the name Molly. She became ill near the end of her career, and in 1962 she died of a stroke.

Occupation

Political activist

Social worker

Women's rights activist

Source

Social Security History, photo

Collection

People

Map

Edited By

Sciancalepore, Victoria

Lichon, Sara Catherine

Rights

Rightsholder being researched

Gender

Female

First appears

1909

Bibliography and Links

SNAC

Social Welfare History Project

Wikipedia

Citation

“Dewson, Mary Williams (1874-1962),” Jane Addams Digital Edition, accessed July 26, 2024, https://mail.digital.janeaddams.ramapo.edu/items/show/5116.

Dewson, Mary Williams (1874-1962) Also known as: Molly Dewson

Item Relations

World War One (1914-1918)

American Red Cross

National Consumers League

National Conference of Charities and Corrections Conference Program Draft, March 18, 1909

Comments