Louisiana Leaders: Notable Women in History

The Gordon sisters were among the South's few suffragists and were well-known and respected for their work in furthering the women's reform movement in the arenas of political and social reform.

Kate Gordon (1861-1932) is best known for her work to secure the vote for women. In 1896 she founded the Era Club to work for women's suffrage -- Era stood for equal rights association. Building on the suffrage work done earlier by Caroline Merrick and Elizabeth Lyle Saxon, the Club pushed for the state constitution to allow women to vote. Partial victory was granted and women taxpayers were given the vote, in person or by proxy, on matters relating to taxation.

The Club formed the Woman's League for Sewerage and Drainage with Kate as its president to address the pressing matter of poor sewage and drainage which was a major public health hazard. The League worked to mobilize the 15,000 women taxpayers of the city and signed petitions ensured the issue would come to election. As a result of women voters that day, the tax increase to address the drainage problem was passed and the Picayune gave full credit to the Gordon sisters and other women reformers for the success of the measure. (June 7,1899)

Kate went on to speak at the National American Woman Suffrage Association convention in 1900, led the Louisiana state suffrage association from 1904-1913,and influenced the Democratic National Convention of 1916 to endorse state suffrage in its platform.

Jean Gordon (1865-1932) focused her life and energies on social service while remaining involved in suffrage. Working tirelessly for over ten years to better the labor conditions of working children, her efforts were finally successful with the legislature's passage of the Child Labor Act of 1906 which also amended the state constitution to allow women to serve as factory inspectors. Jean Gordon was the first woman factory inspector in New Orleans, serving from 1907-1911. Her continued work drew her national recognition and led to the establishment of annual meetings of southern governors to discuss this issue and the passage of uniform child labor laws in southern states.

While working with children, she became aware of the plight of the mentally challenged. As the president of the Milne Asylum for Destitute Orphan Girls, she established a model home-school for the care and vocational education of the mentally handicapped. The Milne Home was a pioneer institution in Louisiana, for even though a state law had been passed in 1918 to establish an institution for the mentally handicapped, no funds were appropriated. The first Louisiana state institution did not open until 1921. Her service to society continued in many other areas including establishing day care for working mothers, directing the Louisiana State Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and legislative reform.