President’s Message

Dear Members and Friends of WWHP,

2018 brings change, new faces and challenges to WWHP and our members. As President, I am looking forward to building on the accomplishments of our past Presidents Ann Marie Shea, Heather-Lyn Haley, Fran Langille and others who have given so much of their time and energy to “the project.”

Worcester Women’s History Project has been approached by the City of Worcester to take on the task of commemorating one of our own, Abby Kelley Foster, with a statue dedicated to the determined work she and so many other women, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Clara Barton and Sojourner Truth, who have contributed to Women’s Rights and to Human Rights. We will be organizing, fund raising, developing educational events and speaking efforts over the next two years as we work toward a statue foundation celebration on August 28, 2020, the day one hundred years ago that the 19th amendment was ratified.

This opportunity and challenge came to WWHP with the recognition of the role we have played in the cultural and educational life of Worcester and Central Massachusetts. This is also an opportunity for us to stand tall for the 1850 first National Woman’s Rights Convention held in Worcester and gently correct the history books about where the first national woman’s rights convention was actually held. Many of the famous names such as Lucy Stone and  Susan B. Anthony that are associated with Seneca Falls were Massachusetts born. What was also so very important about the 1850 convention was the commitment to diversity and equality which is reflected today in the City of Worcester and our state today.

I want to recognize our committees and people within WWHP who bring the rich and diverse events and projects such as Oral History and Yours for Humanity—Abby. And this year we are offering new topics in our Speaker’s Bureau and editing what will be our new Trail Guide. On March 28 we will feature new voices in the WOMEN IN PRINT event and share our memories in the Worcester Public Library display cases. On May 24 we will present a project jointly with the Worcester Historical Museum featuring Judith Wellman, Ph.D., who will speak about Seneca Falls and Abby Kelley Foster.  Dr. Wellman is Historian and Principal Investigator, Historical New York Research Associates.

These WWHP groups are made up of volunteers, many with careers and family who still find time to contribute their work toward education, community and women’s history. There are places for you on these committees, and we welcome ideas, suggestions and collaboration. Our annual meeting provided a connection to Women’s Suffrage Celebration Coalition of MA, which we joined.  We honor and support their contribution toward remembering, educating and celebrating 100 years of the right to vote.

Please join us as we re-enter the schools to share our history, plan events and celebrate 2020. Our website is a valuable source of historical and current information that will be change and grow as we add and develop new projects and begin the work on the statue of Abby Kelley Foster.

Our door is open, and we look forward to knowing you.

Pamela Bobay