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Friends of Susan B Anthony Museum announce spring luncheon

The Friends of Susan B. Anthony Museum & House are pleased to announce Ginny Ryan as the speaker for their annual spring luncheon on Wednesday, May 11, at 11:30 am. She will present a keynote, entitled, “My Game-changer”.

Ginny started at Channel 13 in 1987 as a reporter. She currently co-anchors their 5:00 pm and 11:00 pm newscasts and solo anchors the 10:00 pm newscast on Fox Rochester. This year, she and Doug Emblidge will celebrate twenty-five years together as co-anchors, the longest running local anchor team. In 2017, Ginny and Don Alhart will also mark twenty-five years as the 11:00 pm anchor team.

A native of Rochester, Ginny grew up in Gates and graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School and Buffalo State College. She began her career in journalism with WENY-TV in Elmira, NY, just two days after graduation.

Ginny currently serves on the board of directors of the Ronald McDonald House of Rochester and volunteers her time as the emcee for several community events. She and her husband, Jeff, have two children, Jeffrey and Caroline.

To reserve your seat for this event, please call our office at 585/279-7490 x 10 or purchase online.
For more information on the Friends of Susan B. Anthony Museum & House, please visit: http://susanbanthonyhouse.org/blog/friends/

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Anthony Museum to host volunteer open house

The National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House will host an open house event for new volunteers on

Tuesday, April 12, 2016, from noon to 4 p.m.

Interested individuals are invited to tour the historic home of Susan B. Anthony, meet key staff members, and learn what exciting volunteer opportunities are available at the Museum

In 2015, the Museum’s volunteer corps of over 120 contributed more than 9,000 hours of their time, providing docent-led tours, programs, retail operations, reception duties, and completing special projects.

For more information, visit our Facebook event or contact Volunteer Coordinator, Deb Coffey, at 585/235-6124 x 16.

Volunteers at our annual 19th Amendment Festival
Volunteers at our annual 19th Amendment Festival
Volunteers cheer on runners in the Flower City Challenge
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Museum remembers the passing of an icon

sba_fullOn March 13, 1906, at forty minutes past midnight, Susan B. Anthony died at the age of 86 in her own bed on the second floor of the house on Madison Street, her home of 40 years.

At her request, much of the ceremonial mourning of the day was not observed: no shades were drawn, no black crepe hung. Only a simple wreath of violets was placed on the front door. For two days, close friends and family came to call. Then on March 15, the world said good-bye at an immense funeral held in Central Presbyterian Church (now the Hochstein School of Music). Amid a raging blizzard, thousands of mourners filled the church and over ten thousand more passed by her flag-draped coffin that was flanked by an honor guard of women students from the University of Rochester—the school she’d finally opened up to them in 1901. Next to the coffin was a silk suffrage flag with four gold stars, representing the only states where women then could vote; pinned on her breast was a jeweled flag pin with four diamond stars, a gift from women of Wyoming, the first in our nation to win the vote, thanks to all of her efforts on their behalf.

The Rochester newspaper of the day reported: “Rochester made no secret of its personal grief. There must have been people of every creed, political party, nationality, and plane of life in those long lines that kept filing through the aisles of Central Church. The young and the aged of the land were represented. Every type was there to bow in reverence, respect and grief. Professional men, working men, financiers came to offer homage. Women brought little children to see the face of her who had aimed at being the emancipator of her sex, but whose work had ended just as victory seemed within reach. Priests, ministers…, rabbis …, came to look upon her who had more than once given them inspiration in dark moments.”

The service in the church lasted an hour and a half. It took another 2 or more hours for the thousands of mourners to file past the coffin. Finally, in late afternoon, with the snowstorm still raging, Susan B’s most intimate friends and relatives accompanied her to her final resting place in Mt. Hope Cemetery. There, beneath a simple white stone engraved only with her name and dates, she was laid to rest. The final words were spoken by her dear friend, the Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, who in tender and reverent voice, pronounced these solemn words: “Dear friend, thou hast tarried with us long; thou has now gone to thy well-earned rest. We beseech the Infinite Spirit who has upheld thee to make us worthy to follow in thy steps and carry on the work. Hail and farewell.”

Some years earlier, during a family reunion at her birthplace in Adams, Massachusetts, Susan B. Anthony had written her own epitaph. As the family gathered out in the yard on a glorious summer day, amid the horse-drawn carriages of all those who had come to call, someone remarked that the scene looked like a funeral. Anthony immediately replied:

“When it is a funeral, remember that I want there should be no tears.
Pass on, and go on with the work.”

IMG_3042Please join us for a memorial wreath ceremony on Sunday, March 13, at 11:00 am. The short ceremony will be followed at 12:30 pm by A Conversation with the CEO in our Carriage House. Anthony Museum president & CEO, Deborah L. Hughes, will provide an update and lead a discussion of future plans for the Museum. Both events are free and open to the public.

All general public tours will be available at the student rate of $5.00 that day only (members are always complimentary).

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Susan B. responds to TR

Most of us know Susan B. Anthony’s famous “Failure is Impossible” speech, delivered at her last public appearance on the occasion of her 8sba_full6th birthday in February 1906.

What you may not know is that then-President Theodore Roosevelt sent his own birthday greetings to the Great Reformer via telegram:

Photo Credit: Library of Congress
Photo Credit: Library of Congress

“Pray let me join with you in congratulating Miss Anthony upon her eighty-sixth birthday and in extending to her the most hearty good wishes for the continuation of her useful and honorable life. Sincerely yours, Theodore Roosevelt”

Her response?

“I wish the men would do something besides extend congratulations. I have asked President Roosevelt to push the matter of a constitutional amendment allowing suffrage to women by a recommendation of Congress. I would rather have him say a word to Congress for the cause than to praise me endlessly.”

Today marks the 196th birthday of Susan B. Anthony. Happy birthday, Susan B!

 

Adapted from a submission by Mary Ellen Sweeney

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Enjoy a night of theatre and give back to the Anthony Museum!

Our friends at the Downstairs Cabaret have an exciting offer for supporters of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House!

In the vein of “Be an Influencer” that Billy Jean King spoke of at the Susan B Anthony Birthday Luncheon yesterday, we hope you will attend a new show at the Downstairs Cabaret.  ONE CHILD BORN: THE MUSIC OF LAURA NYRO will be at 20 Windsor Street (across from Eastman Theatre) this weekend only. 

Besides being a ground-breaking singer-songwriter of the 1960s and ’70s, Laura Nyro had a major influence on many other musicians and those who loved her music.  If you mention “Susan B. Anthony House” when you make required advance reservations (325-4370), $5 of your ticket will be donated to the Susan B. Anthony House! 

It’s a great way to support two of Rochester’s non-profit cultural organizations while having a wonderful time.  Thank you, and hope to see you at the show!

downstairs5

To see a preview of this show, please visit: http://ow.ly/YdVvX

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2016 Susan B Anthony Birthday Luncheon Media Round-Up

Billie Jean King is interviewed by Eliza Gonzalez from Brockport’s Oliver Middle School.

A very warm THANK YOU to all who attended yesterday’s Susan B. Anthony Birthday Luncheon, in person and in spirit! Equal rights champion and sports icon, Billie Jean King, spoke to a sold out crowd of more than 1250 people!

Happy birthday, Susan B!

Our returning emcee for this year’s event, Janet Lomax, of News10 NBC, sat down with Billie Jean King after the event: http://ow.ly/Ydgze

Jeff DiVeronica, of the Democrat & Chronicle, on King’s passionate work for equality: http://ow.ly/YdgRY

Additional media coverage provided by

WROC/RochesterFirst.com: http://ow.ly/YdiLE

13WHAM: http://ow.ly/YdiQB

Oneida Daily Dispatch/Associated Press: http://ow.ly/Ydj4V

Connections with Evan Dawson (WXXI): http://ow.ly/YdrjX

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Sold Out Crowd for 2016 Susan B. Anthony Birthday Luncheon

Layout 1Rochester, NY – Billie Jean King and Susan B. Anthony have proved a winning combination! Thanks to an overwhelming and enthusiastic response, the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House is pleased to announce that the 2016 Susan B. Anthony Birthday Luncheon is officially sold out. This milestone, ten days before the event, is the earliest ever for this annual luncheon.

The Susan B. Anthony Birthday Luncheon is held each year in mid-February to celebrate Susan B. Anthony’s February 15th birthday, to honor contemporary women who continue her legacy, and to raise awareness of the educational and inspirational programs offered by the Museum.

This year’s event will be held on February 10th at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center at noon.

Questions related to this event may be directed to luncheon@susanbanthonyhouse.org.

Media inquiries may be directed to Sarah Murphy Abbamonte, Director of Communications, at 585/279-7490 x 15 or sarah.abbamonte@susanbanthonyhouse.org.

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From our president & CEO…

This past year has been one of triumph and challenge. In so many ways, Susan B. Anthony’s life and work seem more relevant than ever as we head into 2016.

The Anthony Museum began 2015 with an exciting Susan B. Anthony Birthday Luncheon focused on the accomplishments of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Lynn Sherr addressed a sold out crowd of more than 1,000 guests who were moved and inspired by the life story of Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space.  Our theme, “Thanks to Susan B., We Can Reach For the Stars”, inspired many to contribute their own video messages of thanks.

In March, the United States commemorated the March on Selma fifty years earlier, but as the year unfolded, we were confronted with many ways in which racism is a part of our present world, not just a subject to be learned from our history books.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 also celebrated its 50th anniversary this summer. Susan B. Anthony envisioned a day when no one would face the barriers or injustice of prejudice; however, recent court challenges and new legislation in some states continue to demonstrate what she knew to be true: the vote is so powerful that there are those who will contrive to control it for their own ends.

Thanks to the release of the feature film, Suffragette, this fall, we experienced a surge of international interest in women’s history. The Friends of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House hosted a sold-out screening of the film, which was followed by a panel discussion of the history behind its powerful story.

Just this past month, we celebrated the empowerment of women in Saudi Arabia as they cast their ballots and ran for local office for the first time. This despite the fact that Saudi Arabia is still an absolute monarchy that limits many basic rights and freedoms for both men and women. We are reminded of those women in the United States who were enfranchised at the local or state level, but waited another three decades or more before they would have a vote in their national government.

A reporter once asked Susan B. Anthony how she endured the decades of work for woman suffrage with mostly losses to show for her efforts. She responded, “Defeats? There have been none. We are always progressing.”

In that spirit, THANK YOU for helping us keep Susan B. Anthony’s vision alive. The world still needs her message of equality, freedom, and justice for all.

~Deborah L. Hughes, president & CEO