online: www.rihumanities.org email: info@rihumanities.org phone: 401-273-2250
Many Rhode Islanders are familiar with the name of Elizabeth Buffum Chace, ardent abolitionist and women's rights advocate, but few have heard of her intriguing contemporary Frances Whipple. During the mid-19th Century campaign to end slavery, Whipple was one of the most prolific abolitionist writers in the state. She also wrote the Memoirs of Elleanor Eldridge, which helped a free black woman to regain the property she had been cheated out of. An early proponent of women's rights, Whipple divorced her first husband. She also worked for the rights and dignity of mill workers and the extension of suffrage in Rhode Island.
Sarah C. O'Dowd, retired professor of psychology at CCRI is an enthusiastic proponent of lifelong learning. Her publications on topics ranging from developmental psychology, educational gerontology, and semiotics have appeared in scholarly journals. Her interest in Rhode Island history led her to publish a book about Frances Harriet Whipple Green McDougall, called Rhode Island Original
Needs: Lighted lectern/water; Books available for sale upon request
Availability: Speaker is unavailable January 15 through March 31