Katharine Lent Stevenson

Katharine Lent Stevenson (née, Lent; May 8, 1853 – 1919) was an American temperance reformer, missionary, and editor. She was a successful platform speaker, writer, and officer of the World Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WWCTU) on whose behalf she also visited Japan, China, India, Australia and other countries as a missionary.[1] She also served as president of the Massachusetts WCTU in 1898.[2]

Katharine Lent Stevenson
B&W oval portrait photo of a middle-aged woman with her hair in an up-do, wearing a dark blouse with a white frilly collar, and a white ribbon pinned on the blouse.
(1904)
BornKatharine Lent
May 8, 1853
Copake, New York, U.S.
Died1919
Occupationreformer, missionary, editor
LanguageEnglish
Alma materBoston University School of Theology
Literary movementtemperance
SpouseJames Stevenson

Early life and education

edit

Katharine (sometimes spelled "Katherine") Lent (sometimes spelled "Lente")[3][4] was born in Copake, New York, May 8, 1853. Her father was Marvin R. Lente; her mother, Hannah Lonzada. On the mother's side, she was of Jewish ancestry.[5]

In 1881, Stevenson graduated from Boston University School of Theology, the only woman in her class, and pronounced by the dean "the best balanced mind in the school."[5]

Career

edit

The refusal of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church to recognize women as preachers terminated her ministry as associate pastor of the Methodist church in Allston, Massachusetts, but it was her dream to be in charge of a church — Methodist if it may be, Independent if it must be.[5]

After marrying James Stevenson, a merchant of Boston, Newton, Massachusetts became her home.[6]

WCTU

edit

In 1893, she removed to Chicago to serve as editor of the Books and Leaflets Department for the Woman's Temperance Publishing Association, and contributing editor to the National WCTU's The Union Signal. In November, 1894, the National WCTU showed its appreciation of her two years' service, 1891–93, as Corresponding Secretary of the Massachusetts WCTU by electing her to the same office in the national organization.[6]

In September 1909, she traveled to Christchurch, New Zealand and spoke on behalf of temperance.[7] She then went to Tasmania for a week before going to Australia.[8] In November, Stevenson toured Australia in the interests of temperance reform, sent by the WWCTU as a representative of the world's officers of the Union on a special mission to the educational institutions of the Far East, including India, China, Japan, and Burma. Australia was not on her program, but when she had finished in China and Japan, she resolved, on her own account, to make a tour through Australia to see it, and to help the temperance workers in the chief centers.[9] She traveled from Bombay to Egypt, Israel, Greece and Italy before she came to London.[8]

In June 1910, Stevenson attended the eighth Triennial convention of the WWCTU in Glasgow. She was appointed to oversee the WWCTU Missionary Fund Department.[8]

Personal life

edit

Stevenson was also a homemaker and step-mother to three daughters.[6] She was a member of Good Templars Commonwealth Lodge of Boston.[10] She died in 1919.[11]

References

edit
  1. ^ Christian Advocate 1910, p. 1837.
  2. ^ Leonard, John William (1914). Woman's Who's who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914-1915. American Commonwealth Company. p. 781. Retrieved 10 October 2023.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. ^ Tyrrell 2010, p. 277.
  4. ^ Woman's Christian Temperance Union 1909, p. 1.
  5. ^ a b c Chapin 1895, p. 19.
  6. ^ a b c Chapin 1895, p. 20.
  7. ^ Zealand, National Library of New (13 September 1909). "Papers Past - MRS K. LENTE STEVENSON". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Star. Retrieved 29 August 2018.  
  8. ^ a b c Stevenson, Katherine Lente (16 January 1911). "Letter from Mrs. K.L. Stevenson". The White Ribbon (NZ). 16 (187): 3. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  9. ^ "MRS. KATHERINE L STEVENSON'S VISIT". Border Watch. 10 November 1909. p. 2. Retrieved 29 August 2018.  
  10. ^ Parker 1908, p. 396.
  11. ^ Tyler 1949, p. 273.

Attribution

edit

Bibliography

edit
edit