Gertrude Weil, Embodiment of Womanhood and Progressive Activism

Madison Stamper A relatively small town now, tucked in between the capital city of Raleigh and the Atlantic Ocean, Goldsboro, North Carolina was once home to a booming railroad system and a woman named Gertrude Weil. Though Weil died almost forty-nine years ago, her legacy remembers her as a woman of persistence and determination, no matter the cost. Living through Reconstruction, the Jim Crow era, and the Civil Rights Movement, as well as both world wars as a Jew, and dedicating her life to fight for women’s and worker’s rights, Gertrude Weil’s life experiences and activism is unparalleled and unreplicated.21 Fortunate enough to have the ability to do nothing and yet bold enough to sacrifice a life of no worries in exchange for the betterment of others, Weil is largely unexplored outside of North Carolina and yet, is a character in history that once known, is not easily forgotten. Utilizing her natural charisma and influential status for good, Gertrude Weil revolutionized the process and inspired women to fight for what she believed was a natural right, women’s suffrage, on the largely ignored local and state level. Being a Jew in the small-town south during the nineteenth century is seemingly unheard of due to their citizens’ tight-knit and mutual practice of and belief in the Christian faith. Despite this, Gertrude Weil’s family,

21 Leonard Rogoff, Gertrude Weil: Jewish Progressive in the New South. (University of North Carolina Press, 2017), preface vii-xi. specifically her father and uncle, built an incredibly successful business in the railroad hub of eastern North Carolina.22 Their wealth and philanthropy paved the way for Gertrude to live the life of her choosing. Her choosing turned out to be very unconventional as she never married or had any children. Instead, Weil dedicated her life to causes. This is not to say that family was unimportant to Weil, in fact, quite the contrary is evidenced by the relationships she maintained, and the volume of correspondence Weil exchanged with family and close friends throughout her lifetime.23 Descending from German immigrants, Weil was proud of her heritage. Though she lived nearly her entire life in the rural American south, Gertrude Weil was a proud GermanAmerican Jew, and as Leonard Rogoff classifies her, a “cosmopolitan Jew.”24 Rogoff’s assertion that Weil was cosmopolitan is based on differences between her and the average southern woman. Because her family was wealthy, Weil was educated at Smith College in the north. Gertrude’s mother, Mina, was reluctant to send Gertrude hundreds of miles away for months at a time, but while living in the south during this time certainly had benefits, high-quality education

22 Anne Firor Scott, “Not Forgotten: Gertrude Weil and Her Times,” (Southern Cultures), 89-90. 23 Ibid. 24 Rogoff, Gertrude Weil, 1.

for women was scarce.

25 While at Smith College, Weil enjoyed a highclass education that both enlightened and challenged her, studying a wide range of topics including philosophy and psychology. 26 Further, Weil was well-traveled. This was an accomplishment difficult for most Americans, not just southerners or women, as traveling was (and remains today) expensive. These trips, all around the United States and abroad, cultured and further educated Gertrude in ways her peers lacked. This ability to travel was enhanced by Miss Weil’s choice to not marry or have children. Thus, “cosmopolitan” is an apt description of Miss Weil, who despite her good fortune, chose to fight for causes considered unworthy by society of her attention, money, and time.

Gertrude Weil is perhaps most well-known for her work in the women’s rights movement. Goldsboro, though it was a major railroad hub, was still dominated by a rural-based, plantation-style economy.27 Weil, progressive and college-educated, was in the clear minority when she attempted to move Goldsboro into the fight for ratifying the Nineteenth Amendment in North Carolina.28 Weil even struggled to gather the support of her fellow women, the very people to benefit from ratification. The opposition Weil faced from different types of women was for distinct reasons. For Weil’s fellow rich, Caucasian women, the fight for suffrage was unorthodox and a job woman were discouraged to take up. While there were exceptions, of course,

25 Rogoff, Gertrude Weil, 32 26 Rogoff, Gertrude Weil, 42. 27 Rogoff, Gertrude Weil, 107. 28 Ibid. women, especially the upper-class, were encouraged to continue their traditional role of an unworking wife and mother.29 African American women faced a dilemma much larger than their Caucasian counterparts. Fighting for suffrage while already viewed as the lowest class of citizens was dangerous, as there were major, pre-existing consequences for African Americans without blatantly fighting against the wishes of the rich, Caucasian opponents of women’s suffrage.30 Thus, Weil’s objective of gaining support in Goldsboro was a challenge on every level. Only twentyone women joined Goldsboro’s Equal Suffrage League, of which Weil founded and was elected President in 1914.31 A strong leader in Goldsboro, Weil worked her way through the entire state, eventually serving as President of the Equal Suffrage Association of North Carolina. However, Weil is known for much of her service through local Women’s Clubs, common in the south during this time period, though the concept is nearly extinct today. Unfortunately, as discussed previously, many women were extremely reluctant to fight for the right to vote. Weil, though she fought valiantly, was not successful in convincing the North Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs to adopt suffragism after the national counterpart organization did, in 191.

32

Four years later, after the close of World War I, Weil did cast a vote in favor of women’s suffrage at the North Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs Annual Convention. The resolution

29 Ibid. 30 Ibid. 31 Rogoff, Gertrude Weil, 109. 32 Rogoff, Gertrude Weil, 108.

passed overwhelmingly; however, it was not reflective of Weil’s commitment to the cause. Instead of supporting women’s suffrage on an equal rights level, the North Carolina Federation adopted the measure in the name of supporting female teachers, who became more numerous during World War I and wished to be able to serve as school superintendents.333 While the suffragettes on the national level, like Carrie Chapman Catt, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton are easily remembered, the fight for women’s suffrage was strongly aided by women like Gertrude Weil. Through manifestations of localism and a lot of grueling and underappreciated work, Weil was effective as a state leader. Weil was particularly close with Carrie Chapman Catt, choosing to align her strategy on the state level to Catt’s strategy on the national level. This strategy is one of peaceful talking and meticulous organization, not of civil disobedience, though both strategies certainly deserve credit for winning the women’s suffrage battle in the United States.344 In the 1914 annual Presidential report for the Equal Suffrage Association of North Carolina, the president wrote of her deep entanglement within the organization writing: “It has been impossible to get an executive meeting, and it has been necessary therefore to assume the responsibility personally, in order to

33 Rogoff, Gertrude Weil, 114. 34 Rogoff, Gertrude Weil, 113. 35 Annual Reports: Equal Suffrage Association of North Carolina from 1914-1920. 1914, 1919-1920. Available through: North Carolina Digital Collections- Women in North Carolina 20th Century History. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p16062 coll19/id/545. Image 001. carry on the work.”355 While this quote, on its own, seems as though only one person can take credit for the accomplishments of the organization as a whole, this could not be further from the truth. Women across the state are duly credited and thanked for their work in starting and running local chapters, but it is clear that most of the state operations at this time were not fully developed.366 Weil joined the organization soon after, alongside many other women. By 1917, Weil was an officer within the organization, serving first on the Finance committee before becoming chairwoman. Additionally, Weil served as the third Vice President of the organization and eventually President in 1919.377 This is deeply significant as Weil was President of the organization when women across the United States all gained the right to vote. In the same report from 1914, the president briefly discusses the strategy she and many of her fellow suffragettes embraced in North Carolina in the few years before the Nineteenth Amendment was passed in 1919 and ratified in 1920. The organization was founded to help the cause, not disadvantage it; “The chief work of the year has been the effort to arouse interest in the work without arousing opposition.”388 This proved to be a difficult task, but one that Weil was expertly suited for and as such, devoted much of her time and resources to get the message out

36 Annual Reports: Equal Suffrage Association of North Carolina, Image 001. 37 Proceedings of the Second [i.e., Third] Annual Convention of the North Carolina Equal Suffrage League. 1917. Available through: East Carolina University Digital Collections. http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/10364. 38 Annual Reports: Equal Suffrage Association of North Carolina, Image 001.

tastefully. Through delivering personal speeches to local chapters all around North Carolina and writing many letters to both ordinary people and those involved in government, Weil provided a great example of the strategy she championed. By keeping her advocacy personal, Weil prevented mass public opposition and allowed the organization and suffragettes across the state to operate consistently, without pauses to quell opposition that stops the momentum during her tenure with the organization. Weil appealed to many across the state of North Carolina, one of which was Collier Cobb, originally from Goldsboro like Miss Weil and a Professor of Geology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1920, Collier wrote to Weil in excitement voicing his support for women gaining their right to vote as a matter of “simple justice and of sound statesmanship.399 Going further, Cobb extended his comments to suggest that government without women would ultimately fail, as “[If] it is a true democracy, in which mother plays an equal part, it moves forward as a living organism, functioning for the good of all concerned.”40 This letter Weil received speaks of her ability to encourage education and gather support for women to finally be allowed to take their rightful place in government. Further, it highlights the importance of getting men involved in the effort. Women, though they could create massive public campaigns and garner public support, did not have

39 Correspondence: Gertrude Weil, National American Suffrage Association. 1900-1929. Available through: North Carolina Digital Collections- Women in North Carolina 20th Century History. seats in the legislatures to actually grant the right they believed was inherent. In another letter addressed to Miss Weil, an attorney from Elizabeth City, North Carolina thanked Weil for writing to him and asking for his position on women’s suffrage. The attorney, J.C.B. Ehringhaus, wrote on August 2, 1920: “I am convinced that to postpone ratification of the Federal Amendment and await the slow process of action by the individual states would work an injustice in this instance.”41 Weil did not win the fight alone, she won women’s suffrage alongside the work of thousands, but that does not mean that there is no doubt that Weil was among the most dedicated. Writing and appealing to so many, Weil was able to convince others of the merits of women’s suffrage so well that they believed in the cause and began to spread it to others as well, instead of remaining silent.

Though North Carolina was nearly the last state needed to ratify the right for women to vote in the Constitution; Tennessee ultimately took that title. Receiving a telegram from A. W. McLean, an influential player in North Carolina politics, on August 4, 1920, Gertrude Weil was reassured that her work in North Carolina could not be wiped out because of ratification in Tennessee.42 McLean predicted that the electoral vote in North Carolina wouldn’t be jeopardized by Tennessee simply ratifying faster. Unfortunately, McLean was wrong in this assumption

https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p16062 coll19/id/521/rec/1. Image 004. 40 Correspondence: Gertrude Weil, Image 004. 41 Correspondence: Gertrude Weil, Image 007. 42 Correspondence: Gertrude Weil, Image 10.

and the North Carolina Legislature did not ratify the Nineteenth Amendment guaranteeing the right to vote for women until 1971, half a century after Weil and her fellow women began voting and just two weeks before her death.433 Weil’s hard work in North Carolina was not in vain as the payout was still instant, the fight was won in spite of the opponents of women’s suffrage dragging their feet in Raleigh’s General Assembly. After years of advocating for women to be granted the right to vote, Weil likely could have retired from advocacy work and still be remembered in eastern North Carolina for her work. This was not the path she took. Instead, Weil continued her tireless work for a multitude of causes, from advocating for Zionism to labor rights. Still interested and invested in women voting, Weil continued her work in the field by founding and serving as the first President of the League of Women Voters in North Carolina.444 The national organization was founded by Carrie Chapman Catt, a friend of Gertrude Weil, in 1920. Weil followed suit and sought to educate women in North Carolina about having a vote and the issues and candidates they would find on their ballots. A fierce advocate for protecting the vote, Weil was supremely interested in securing private, secret voting. In 1922, Gertrude Weil reported to her Goldsboro precinct to cast her vote and was given a premarked ballot. Furious that after years of fighting, her right to cast her own vote was being taken away, Weil ripped the ballot. Further, Weil found a stack of ballots being marked by a man for the democratic candidates and she ripped those as well.455 Those in the voting station in Goldsboro were scandalized and soon, the news went national. This set-in motion the rumors that Weil was soon planning a political office career.466 This was far from the truth as Weil never pursued political offices outside of the service organizations she prided herself on. Gertrude Weil was an excellent grassroots volunteer and worker. Time after time, Weil sacrificed her time, money, and energy for causes of all kinds, but especially for the women’s suffrage movement. Utilizing her organizational skills to revolutionize how to reach women and men across rural North Carolina to educate and persuade supporters of women being granted the right to vote is quite the feat. The landscape of the state and opposition Weil and her counterparts faced was immense and the number of speeches, letters, and advertisements to bring the state into the national debate was quite the feat. Through her work in both the Goldsboro Women’s Club and the North Carolina Federation of Women’s Clubs, as well as the Equal Suffrage Association and League of Women Voters in North

43 Jewish Women’s Archive, Women of Valor: Gertrude Weil, https://jwa.org/womenofvalor/weil 44 Jewish Women’s Archive, Gertrude Weil. 45 Rogoff, Gertrude Weil, 152-153. 46 Rogoff, Gertrude Weil, 152-153.

Carolina, Weil brought a much-needed message of equality and kindness to the people, and specifically the women, of the traditional south. Weil’s life is a testament to the turbulence of the political and social world she lived in. The work Gertrude Weil achieved in improving the lives of others was admiringly humble and often of no benefit to her beyond normalizing her philosophy of human decency.

References

Annual Reports: Equal Suffrage Association of North Carolina from 1914-1920. 1914,1919-1920. Available through: North Carolina Digital CollectionsWomen in North Carolina 20th Century History. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p16062coll19/id/545. Correspondence: Gertrude Weil, National American Suffrage Association. 19001929. Available through: North Carolina Digital Collections- Women in North Carolina 20th Century History. https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p16062coll19/id/521/rec/1. Firor Scott, Anne. “Not Forgotten: Gertrude Weil and Her Times.” Southern Cultures 13 (1): Spring 2007. 87–102. “Gertrude Weil.” Women of Valor. Jewish Women's Archive. Accessed April 20, 2020. https://jwa.org/womenofvalor/weil. Proceedings of the Second [i.e., Third] Annual Convention of the North Carolina Equal Suffrage League. 1917. Available through: East Carolina University Digital Collections. http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/10364. Rogoff, Leonard, Gertrude Weil: Jewish Progressive in the New South. University of North Carolina Press, 2017. Wilson, Emily. “Gertrude Weil: Forever Young.” In North Carolina Women: Their Lives and Times, 12–31. University of Georgia Press, 2015.