Ida Husted Harper
| Ida Husted Harper | |
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| Born | February 18, 1851 Franklin County, Indiana |
| Died | March 14, 1931 (aged 80) |
| Occupation | Teacher, journalist, suffragist |
Ida Husted Harper (February 18, 1851 – March 14, 1931) was a prominent figure in the United States women's suffrage movement. She was an American author and journalist who wrote primarily to document the movement and show support of its ideals.
Ida Husted Harper was born in Fairfield, Franklin County, Indiana to John Arthur Husted and Cassandra Stoddard. When she was 10 years old, her family moved to Muncie, Indiana in search for better school systems. Harper graduated from high school in 1868 when she was only a sophomore. After her graduation, she entered Indiana University. It did not take long until she withdrew from the university and became a teacher at a school in Peru, Indiana. After working at the school for over a year, she progressed and became the principal of the high school (Opdycke). On December 28, 1871, she married Thomas Winans Harper of Terre Haute, Indiana, who went on to become a successful attorney and politician. The couple had a daughter named Winifred. The couple soon divorced.
One of the first columns Harper started working for the women’s column called Terre Haute Saturday Evening Mail. She also began writing in many Indianapolis newspapers under a male pseudonym. She devoted a great amount of her time to the BLF publication Locomotive Fireman’s Magazine. Working for this publication led her to become the editor of the “Women’s Department” in 1884. During this time, Harper found herself becoming more attracted to campaigns for women's suffrage. In 1887, she helped to organize a woman suffrage society in Indiana, serving as its secretary and in 1896 joined the National American Woman Suffrage Association where she worked as a reporter and, ultimately, an historian of the movement. After the separation of Ida and her husband, Harper instantaneously accepted the position as editor in chief of the Terre Haute Daily News. She did not stay long at this position because she believed that if they moved, her daughter Winifred could obtain better education. Harper resigned from her position at Terre Haute Daily News for the sake of her daughter.
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