The Women Who Shaped Us: Jane Cunningham Croly

Jane Cunningham Croly was born in Leicestershire, England in 1829 and moved with her family to the United States in 1841. She spent some time in Poughkepsie and Wapping Falls, NY, before moving to Worcester, MA, to teach and keep house for her brother.

By 1854, at only 25, she moved to NYC and rapidly made a name for herself as a widely known and well respected journalist and editor who wrote for the New York Sunday Times and Noah’s Weekly Messenger. Under the pen name Jennie June, she also wrote a women’s column called “Parlor and Side-Walk Gossip.” In 1857 she became one of the first female syndicated columnists, appearing in newspapers from New Orleans to Baltimore. By 1864 she had published her first book, Talks on Women’s Topics. Two years later she published Jennie June’s American Cookery Book.

Keenly aware of the changing status of women, Jane spent much of her time organizing events for women to meet and discuss issues surrounding the evolution of their role in society. Long an advocate for Women’s Groups, the pivotal point came in 1869 when she and a group of other female journalists were denied admission to hear Charles Dickens speak. He was speaking in New York City at an all-male press club, to which the female journalists were refused access. That event inspired Jane to start Sorosis, an organization created to facilitate the collective elevation and advancement of women. Motivated by the success of Sorosis, Jane founded the New York Women’s Press Club in 1899 and a scant year later she invited Women’s Clubs from all across the country to gather at a convention in New York City. Sixty three clubs came together at that time to form the General Federation of Women’s Clubs to support clubs throughout the United States, and to further their efforts in working toward better education, improved working conditions, health care, and other reforms for women.

In 1898, Jane wrote her best known book, The History of the Women’s Club Movement in America, still a valuable resource to better understand our history and the women who built the foundations of this incredible movement.

Jane died in New York City in 1901 and is buried in Lakewood, NY, beside her husband. In 1994 she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY, for her tireless work advancing women in ways that would go on to reshape society.

References:
National Women’s Hall of Fame, https://www.womenofthehall.org/inductee/jane-cunningham-croly/
The Library Company of Philadelphia, https://librarycompany.org/wgtd/part3.html