Marion Martin (Maine politician)
Marion Ella Martin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Assistant Chairman of the Republican National Committee | |
| In office 1936–1946 | |
| Commissioner of Labor and Industry of Maine | |
| In office 1947–1972 | |
| Governor | Horace Hildreth |
| Member of the Maine Senate | |
| In office 1934–1938 | |
| Member of the Maine House of Representatives | |
| In office 1930–1934 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Marion Ella Martin April 8, 1900 Kingman, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | January 8, 1987 (aged 86) Hallowell, Maine, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Wellesley College University of Maine (BA) |
| Alma mater | University of Maine |
Marion Ella Martin (April 8, 1900 - January 8, 1987) was an American politician and women's rights advocate who founded the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW). She served as a Republican legislator in Maine and as Assistant Chairman of the Republican National Committee, where she worked to increase women's participation in politics.
Early Life and education
editBorn in Kingman, Maine on April 8, 1900, to William Henry Martin and Florence McLaughlin Martin.[1][2]
In 1930, she graduated from Wellesley College. She later attended the University of Maine and pursued additional law studies at Yale University.[3][2]
Political career in Maine
editMartin's political career began in the early 1930s when she was elected to the Maine House of Representatives. She served two terms in the House and two terms in the Maine Senate. During her time in the legislature, Martin demonstrated a keen interest in legal matters, which led her to chair the Senate's Legal Affairs Committee—the first non-lawyer to do so. To better fulfill her responsibilities, she took law courses at Yale, where she caught the attention of the Republican National Committee (RNC).[2]
National Republican Party
editIn 1937, Marion Martin was appointed as the assistant chairman for women’s activities within the Republican National Committee (RNC). At that time, the Republican Party was facing challenges after significant losses in the 1936 elections. Martin was given the responsibility of revitalizing women's involvement in the party, which led her to establish the National Federation of Women’s Republican Clubs (NFWRC), later known as the National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW). This organization successfully unified various women's clubs into a national network, quickly growing to over 100,000 members within a year. By 1946, the federation's membership had expanded to 400,000 members.[2]
Martin played a crucial role in shaping the early political activism of Republican women. As the head of the RNC's Women’s Division, she was instrumental in creating the NFWRC in 1938, a move designed to consolidate local Republican women’s clubs into a unified national organization.[4] Martin's strategy focused on integration, encouraging women to work within the established party framework rather than independently. She emphasized party loyalty while discouraging extremist positions, aiming to align women's political efforts with the broader Republican agenda.[4]
Despite her efforts to secure women a more significant role in policy-making, achieving substantial influence within the party often remained elusive. [4] Nonetheless, Martin’s work laid the foundation for increased female participation in Republican politics, helping women navigate the post-suffrage era's challenges of whether to work within the party or pursue independent agendas.[4] The NFRW officially came into existence on September 23-24, 1938, at a meeting held at the Palmer House in Chicago. Starting with 11 charter states, the organization quickly grew into one of the largest women's political groups in the United States.[5]
Later career
editFrom 1947 until her retirement in 1972, she held the position of Commissioner of Labor and Industry in Maine, where she made significant contributions to the state’s labor policies.[3]
Death and legacy
editMarion E. Martin passed away on January 8, 1987 in Hallowell Maine, at the age of 86.[3]
References
edit- ^ WILLIAM H. MARTIN: :FATHER OF REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE OFFICIAL DIES. (1944, Apr 25). New York Times (1923-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/william-h-martin/docview/106788348/se-2
- ^ a b c d "Marion Martin of Maine: A Mother of Republican Women". www.jofreeman.com. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
- ^ a b c Marion E. martin dies at 86; began G.O.P. women's clubs. (1987, Jan 11). New York Times (1923-) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/marion-e-martin-dies-at-86-began-g-o-p-womens/docview/110851015/se-2
- ^ a b c d Van Ingen, L. (2006). Review of Republican Women: Feminism and Conservatism from Suffrage through the Rise of the New Right by Catherine E. Rymph. The Annals of Iowa, 65(3), 348-349. The University of Iowa. Retrieved from https://pubs.lib.uiowa.edu/annals-of-iowa/article/5812/galley/114622/view
- ^ "NFRW History". www.nfrw.org. Retrieved November 15, 2024.