Frances Willard Leader

During Frances Willard's lifetime (1839-1898), she was the best-known woman in America: She headed the largest women's organization in the worldthe Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). In that role, her abilities shone as a social activist, a dynamic speaker, and a brilliant organizer. She educated women on how to run meetings, write petitions, give speeches, and lobby state and federal legislators.

- Susan Levine

Willard grew up on a farm in the Midwest. She was a smart, curious, and energetic child. She loved school, and throughout most of her life, she kept a diary. In it, she noted her life goals. At an early age, she realized that girls had fewer opportunities than boys.

Although few jobs were open to women in the mid-1800s, Willard became a teacher and eventually the dean of students at a women's college. In 1879, her capable leadership led to her election as president of the WCTU. With her partner, Anna Gordon, Willard led the WCTU for almost 20 years. She traveled the country organizing local WCTU chapters. In one year alone, she gave more than 400 speeches and traveled more than 30,000 miles.