Nineteenth Amendment
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Who is depicted on the Kansas Suffragists Mural?
1. Anna O. Anthony (1844-1930) (Leavenworth), sister-in-law of Susan B. Anthony, hosted national suffragists at her Leavenworth home during the 1887 campaign.
2. Lutie A. Lytle (1875-1955) (Tennessee/Topeka), the first African American woman admitted to the Kansas Bar Association (1897), lectured on marriage and divorce laws in Kansas.
3. Anna C. Wait (1837-1916) (Lincoln), owner and editor of the Lincoln Beacon, co-founded the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association (KESA) in 1884 and spread suffrage news for 20 years.
4. Lilla D. Monroe (1858-1929) (Wakeeney/Topeka), the first woman to practice law before the Kansas Supreme Court (1895), published the Kansas Woman’s Journal in Topeka and gathered stories from 800 pioneer women.
5. Annie L. Diggs (1853-1916) (Lawrence/Topeka), a Populist suffragist and KESA president (1899), helped to design the state library in the Capitol as State Librarian (1898-1902).
6. Laura M. Johns (1849-1935) (Salina), president of KESA (1887-1895) and the Kansas Republican Woman’s Association (1892), helped to coordinate 30 suffrage conventions across Kansas beginning in 1892.
7. Clarina I. H. Nichols (1810-1885) (Wyandotte), a lecturer, editor, and Underground Railroad conductor in Quindaro, sparked and led the woman suffrage movement in Kansas beginning in 1859.
8. Lizzie S. Sheldon (1851-1942) (Lawrence), a KU law graduate (1900), wrote the resolution for full woman suffrage (on banner) in 1911 and ran for a seat on the Kansas Supreme Court (1914).
9. Carolyn (Langston) Hughes Clark (1873-1938) (Lawrence), a civil rights advocate, urged African American women to enter politics as journalists (1892) and encouraged the literary education of her son Langston Hughes.
10. Mary Jane “Mamie” Dillard (1874-1954) (Lawrence), a prominent educator, promoted civil rights in education and taught Langston Hughes.
11. Jane L. Brooks (1867-1945) (Wichita), a KESA president (1917-18), founded the first state chapter of the national League of Women Voters (1919) in Wichita.
12. Lucy B. Johnston (1846-1937) (Topeka), a lawyer, expanded the Kansas Traveling Library collection and led the 1912 campaign for the ratification of the Kansas Equal Suffrage Amendment as KESA president.
13. Minnie J. Grinstead (1869-1925) (Larned/Liberal), the first woman elected to the Kansas House of Representatives (1918), presented the joint resolution to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment (1919).
TOPEKA — The dedication ceremony for a memorial honoring Kansas women who fought for the right to vote will take place at noon on Kansas Day, Wednesday, Jan. 29, in the first-floor Rotunda of the Kansas Capitol.
The Kansas Suffragist Memorial Committee was formed through the combined efforts of the League of Women Voters of Kansas (LWVK) and the Kansas American Association of University Women (AAUW), which united to celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment. The memorial committee, in collaboration with the Kansas Historical Society, will dedicate a memorial.
The committee’s mission is to honor Kansas women who played a significant role in the statewide and national struggle for women’s voting rights.
This public art piece aims to inspire reflection on Kansas’s history, educate people about important Kansas figures, and instill these values in future generations.
The committee worked closely with the Capitol Preservation Committee to bring the mural to life. Created by artist Phyllis Garibay-Coon, the mural depicts 13 Kansas suffragists from across the state, arranged in a V formation. The mural spans 60 years, from 1859 to 1919, showcasing figures such as Clarina Nichols from Quindaro, who achieved voting rights for women in school elections in 1859, and Jane Brooks of Wichita, who served as the president of the Kansas Equal Suffrage Association in 1919.
Larned’s noted suffragist
Minnie Grinstead, from Larned and Liberal, is also depicted. In 1918, she became the first woman elected to the Kansas House of Representatives. She presented the joint resolution to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment in 1919. During her tenure, she served as chairman of the House Education Committee, chairman of the House Public Welfare Committee and as a member of the House Roads and Highways Committee.
Grinstead earned a lifetime teaching certificate from Emporia State University. She married the county judge in Larned and then they moved to Liberal in 1906 where she campaigned for women’s suffrage in the seventh congressional district. She was known as a respected orator and seconded the nomination of Calvin Coolidge for president at the 1924 Republican national convention.
The artist aims to tell a story through her artwork, stated Marlene Merrill and Cille King, co-chairs of the Kansas Suffragist Mural Committee.
The upper part of the mural is adorned with numerous suffragists dressed in white, while various symbols representing Kansas and women’s actions fill this emotionally impactful piece. A banner at the top displays the wording of the 1912 Kansas Constitutional amendment that granted women full suffrage.
Artist Phyllis Garibay-Coon, the daughter of a third-generation farmer from Kingman County, hopes that this mural will serve as a platform for sharing truth and knowledge with all visitors to the Capitol building. She invites everyone to attend the dedication on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Janice Walker, president of the League of Women Voters of Great Bend, has been a member of the committee for four years. She noted that Gov. Laura Kelly will speak during the 30-minute dedication.
“The League and others are excited about this wonderful addition to the Capitol’s artwork,” Walker said.
Learn more online at kssuffragist.org and kssuffragist.org/history/.
