lewis miss july august prominent educator author athens georgia served head capacities years oversaw addition chapel school heavily involved organizations historian general speech given woman recorded prolific non fiction writer known distinctive dressing southern speeches held strong pro confederacy views opposed women suffrage biography family background born july athens georgia daughter sister professor mathematics granddaughter involvement agriculture owned plantation slaves real estate area wealthiest men niece john sons served terms democratic congressman speaker house years lawyer founders codified georgia state laws wrote wartime state constitution prominent founded response letter sent anonymously local paper education career entered age school session graduated age sixteen educator teaching atlanta years served principal athens lived house directly street burned continuing serve school capacities years including years head title president signaling school college level ambitions according took struggling institution rebuilt prestigious schools young women georgia immediately went work improving academic standards physical plant increasing enrollment agreeing head school insisted male board directors control budget power hire fire staff decided students needed chapel write seeking funding wrote beautiful letter responded funding challenge town additional structure octagonal red brick building called chapel case describes direction deep concern feminine obscure fact school prepared women traditional domestic roles recognized seek employment teaching students time respectable skills dress created new image elite white single combined aspects new woman southern new early commencement speaker argued women ought allowed historian accomplished public speaker dressed southern addressed great number local organizations including served president athens chapter november addressed national assembly historian general best known amateur historian early twentieth century extensive writings speeches historical journal published promotion historical work organization gave speech woman printed convention miss champion southern traditions woman powerful personality commanding presence outspoken opinions known widely speeches delivered skirts enjoy protracted battles plaster goats stood end dormitory long college boys periodically painted animals school colors red black broken boys attempted hide pieces goats death legacy seriously ill late christmas night house suffered devastating fire consuming personal papers belongings including private collection confederate artifacts died august interred original sections cemetery great niece named honor known journalist georgia nationally syndicated columnist views baptist strong faith expressed deep morality textbooks criticizing authors openly portrayed sexuality lived ways found immoral lauded works southern writers female writers according historian advocate lost cause version southern history referring goals writing included establishing south contribution united_states history plantation defended american slavery thinking problem burden white viewed true history way saw defined potential common ground believed potent political weapon support causes espoused willing alter historical record point speech dallas claimed south called slaves term came abolition crusade state georgia word slaves official declaration causes joined vocal opponent women suffrage nineteenth amendment united_states_constitution ratified august viewed suffrage step equality way women power truly held feminine influence families reconciled view fact georgia publicly active known women time opposition formidable headed organization conservative state nation reject amendment case asserts reserved strongest resistance suffrage amendment opposed constitutional amendments including prohibition despite anti alcohol sentiments basis limiting federal power selected writings wrote historically significant books pamphlets widely read lewis english authors hand book english literature living writers atlanta lewis american authors hand book american literature early colonial living writers atlanta south history literature handbook southern authors living writers atlanta november address delivered miss historian general confederacy thirteen periods united_states history new_orleans retrieved january internet archive french authors hand book french literature writers atlanta addresses arranged printed reprinted new material truths history historical perspective civil war southern viewpoint athens georgia original atlanta georgia reprint inc isbn internet south rightful place history athens georgia georgia thirteenth colony athens georgia
Mildred Lewis Rutherford