Lillian M. N. Stevens
Dates: March 1, 1844 - April 6, 1914
Occupation: temperance reformer
Known for: WCTU president, 1898-1914
Also known as: Lillian Ames
Born in Maine, Lillian Ames married Michael T. Stevens in 1865. They had one child. Lillian Stevens soon became involved in the "woman's crusade" beginning in the 1870s, and she helped form the Maine Women's Christian Temperance Union. She served as president of the Maine WCTU from 1878 until her death in 1914. Her husband supported her temperance activity, agreeing to have a governess take care of their daughter and the household while Lillian worked against alcohol.
From her work with the Maine WCTU, Lillian Stevens became involved in the national WCTU organization. She was a good though not exceptional speaker, became a secretary of the WCTU in 1880, and was close to Frances E. Willard who admired her organizational abilities.
When Frances Willard died in 1898, Lillian Stevens was elected to the presidency of the WCTU. Willard had made clear her wishes that Stevens would succeed her. Under the presidency of Lillian Stevens, the WCTU grew considerably in membership. With increased activity on the part of the Anti-Saloon League as well, victories made it possible to change strategy from working for prohibition in a variety of localities, to working for national prohibition.
During Stevens' term as national president, the sale of alcoholic beverages was banned on military bases. Six states passed prohibition laws: Georgia, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.
Lillian Stevens gave less priority than Willard had done to the "Do-Everything" strategy of working for other causes -- such as suffrage -- and not just temperance. Though these other issues were not as important to the WCTU as temperance and prohibition, nevertheless the WCTU helped to pass the federal Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, the Mann Act of 1910, and several woman suffrage initiatives in states.
Lillian Stevens continued working, from her platform as president of the WCTU, until her death in 1914 from chronic nephritis. She was succeeded in the WCTU presidency by Anna Gordon, the woman with whom Frances Willard had worked and lived for many years, and who had served as vice-president of the WCTU during Lillian Stevens' presidency.
While Lillian Stevens also became personally involved in other causes during her long activist career, such as penal reform for women, woman suffrage and delinquent and neglected children, her primary involvement was with the temperance movement, through the WCTU. She did serve as treasurer from 1891-95 for the National Council of Women.
Also on this site
Bibliography
- Two Paths to Women's Equality : Temperance, Suffrage, and the Origins of Modern Feminism: Janet Zollinger Giele. Paperback, 1995.
- Woman and Temperance: Frances E. Willard. Reprint, 1999.
- Woman's World - Woman's Empire: The Woman's Christian Temperance Union in International Perspective, 1880-1930. Hardcover, 1991.
About Lillian M. N. Stevens
- Categories: temperance reformer, suffragist, prison reform
- Organizational Affiliations: Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)
- Places: Portland, Maine, United States
- Period: 19th century, 20th century
- Religious Associations: Universalist by theology, Baptist by church membership
Lillian M. N. Stevens on the Web
-
Rum, Riot and Rebellion
A history of the temperance movement in the era after Mrs. Stevens took the helm at Frances Willard's death. -
Lillian M. N. Stevens
Portrait of Mrs. Stevens, from the web site of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.
More women's history biographies, by name:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P/Q | R | S | T | U/V | W | X/Y/Z
Text © 1999-2006 Jone Johnson Lewis.
