President’s Corner

Dear WWHP Friends,

Do you remember Adeline Perry? No, you probably wouldn’t. I wouldn’t know who she was if I hadn’t portrayed her in “Angels and Infidels”, the WOMEN 2000 re-enactment of the 1850 first National Woman’s Rights Convention. Adeline Perry was a Worcester schoolteacher. I know very little about her. Emily Thomas, who was researching the convention, encouraged us to find out about our “character.” I checked some census records, found her name, but not much more. I presume she probably attended the convention because she was a well- educated woman working as a teacher and paid only one-third of what her male counterparts were earning.

I would venture that Adeline was an ordinary Worcester citizen living in a time of extraordinary historical significance. She was certainly curious and interested in the goings on of a remarkable group of women in her community. I can relate to that. I first became aware of WWHP when I served as a member of the city’s Status of Women Committee. Lisa Connelly Cook came to our meeting hoping to gain our support. It didn’t take much convincing. We were impressed with her research and her determination to get recognition for Worcester as the site of the first National Woman’s Rights Convention. It was my privilege to represent the Status of Women Committee at the City Council meeting in October, 1995 and announce the organization of the Worcester Women’s History Project. And so it began ....

Anniversaries are times of remembering ... and celebrating. I hope you’ll join in this year’s anniversary celebrations and find yourself inspired to stay involved or get more involved. Who would have known that WWHP would continue beyond WOMEN 2000... or find new projects to bring us well into the 21st century?

What is most remarkable to me, what is most to be celebrated, is the commitment and dedication of so many volunteers, the “Adelines” (past present and future) who assure that WWHP continues ....we are celebrating YOU!

Fran