Eliza R. Sunderland

Eliza Read Sunderland, "A woman of the century"

Eliza Read Sunderland (April 19, 1839 – March 3, 1910) was an American writer, educator, lecturer, and women's rights advocate. She wrote much for literary and religious papers and magazines. She was prominent in her own religious denomination, no woman in the country being called upon more often for addresses at local, state and national Unitarian gatherings than she. She was one of the organizers and the first president of the Western Women's Conference. At the World's Parliament of Religions in Chicago, in 1893, she represented the Unitarian women of American, and gave of one of the most notable addresses of the parliament.

Early life and education

Eliza Read was born in Huntsville, Illinois, April 19, 1839. Her father was Amasa Read, a native of Worcester County, Massachusetts, who removed to Illinois in 1838 as one of the earliest pioneer settlers in the central-western part of the State. Her mother, whose maiden name was Jane Henderson, was born in Ohio, of Scotch ancestry, and was a woman of remarkably vigorous mind and noble character. There were three children born into the home, who reached adult years, Eliza and two younger brothers, Thomas H. and James M. Read. The father died when the children were very young, leaving the mother to face alone the hardships of pioneer life. Fully persuaded of the value of education, the mother made everything else yield to the attainment of that for her children.

Until the age of ten, Sunderland attended the village school, a mile away. Then, for the purpose of obtaining greater educational advantages, the family removed first to St. Mary, Illinois and then to Abingdon, Illinois. Sunderland's years from sixteen to twenty-four were spent partly in study in Abingdon Seminary and partly in teaching school. At the age of twenty-four she entered Mount Holyoke Seminary, in Massachusetts, at that time the most advanced school for young women in the country, and was graduated from that institution in 1865.

Her highest ambition was realized when, on graduation day, she was invited to return as a teacher, but circumstances at home prevented.

Career and further education

undated photo in obituary

She became a teacher in the high school in Aurora, Illinois, where she was soon made principal, holding that position during the period of 1866–71. In the same year, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she married Rev. Jabez Thomas Sunderland, a clergyman. She was the mother of three children, two daughters and a son, Edson.

From 1872 to 1875, her home was in Northfield, Massachusetts, for the next three years in Chicago, Illinois, and in 1878, the family removed to Ann Arbor, Michigan. uring the period of 1877–98, she worked as a teacher in the high schools of Chicago and Ann Arbor. As a high school teacher and principal, her specialties were Latin, English literature and history.

Sunderland was always very active in all that line of work which usually falls upon a minister's wife. She affiliated with the Women's Western Unitarian Conference (president, 1882–87) as well as the National Alliance of Unitarian and Other Liberal Christian Women. She held many positions of honor in the Unitarian denomination, being one of the best known of its women speakers in its national and local gatherings. Though not an ordained minister, she preached and lectured extensively having more calls to preach and lecture than she could fill.

At the same time, she carried forward her literary studies, having taken nearly or quite every philosophical course offered in the University of Michigan, and many of the literary, historical and politico-economic courses. In 1889, she received from the university the degree of Ph.B., and in 1892, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Her post-graduate work in the University of Michigan was mainly in philosophy and psychology, the subject of her thesis for her Ph.D. being "The Relation of the Philosophy of Kant to that of Hegel". She was a thorough student of Robert Browning, and often gaves addresses, papers and lectures on Browning's writings. She was a no less careful student of Henrik Ibsen, on whose dramas she often spoke.

She was for a number of years an active worker in the National Association for the Advancement of Women (director, 1885–95) In 1893, she was a prominent speaker at the World's Parliament of Religions and at the World's Congress of Representative Women. Since 1907, Sunderland was a member of the School Board in Hartford, Connecticut.

In 1878, Sunderland served as associate editor of the Illinois Social Science Journal, Chicago. She was the author of Stories from Genesis, 1890; Heroes and Heroines, 1895; and Centennial Memorial to James Martineau, 1905, the last being an extended summary and re-statement of the theistic philosophy of Martineau. She was the author of several Sunday school manuals which had wide use, and of a number of pamphlets on religious and educational subjects.

Personal life and death

undated photo in obituary

Sunderland traveled extensively, having been abroad twice, once for three months and once for thirteen months, the last time extending her travels to Greece, Egypt and Palestine. She also traveled to India.

Her married life, before coming to Hartford, was spent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Northfield, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Toronto, Canada, where her husband held pastorates. In each, she was a leader in literary circles and in many movements for the betterment of the community. She came to Hartford in October 1906, and was very active in religious, philanthropic, literary, and educational work, both in connection with Unity church and outside. During her three and a half years resident in Hartford, she gave many addresses on literary, educational and religious subjects before women's societies in different churches of the city, the Motherhood Club, the College Club, the Equal Rights Association, the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and other organizations. She also went often to Springfield, Illinois; New Haven, Connecticut; New York City; Philadelphia; and other places to speak on similar themes. She spoke several times at the Capitol building before the Legislature or legislative committees, at public hearing on important questions concerning education, temperance, or the special interests of women and children, which were before the Legislature for its consideration and action. In 1908, she was elected a member of the board of school visitors of Hartford.

Following an eight weeks' illness of heart disease, she died at her home in Hartford, March 3, 1910. At the time she was stricken down by her last illness, she was engaged in the preparation of four new Ibsen lectures.

Selected works

• Stories from Genesis, 1890
• Heroes and Heroines, 1895
• Centennial Memorial to James Martineau, 1905

References

Attribution

• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Marquis Who's Who (1911). Who's who in America (Public domain ed.). Marquis Who's Who. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Marquis, Albert Nelson (1915). Who's who in New England: A Biographical Dictionary of Leading Living Men and Women of the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. A.N. Marquis. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Willard, Frances Elizabeth; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice (1893). A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life (Public domain ed.). Charles Wells Moulton. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Bibliography

• Michigan Historical Collections (1980). The Clergy of Michigan: A Bibliography of Resources in the Michigan Historical Collections, Bentley Historical Library. Michigan Historical Collections. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

• Works related to Woman of the Century/Eliza Read Sunderland at Wikisource
• Works by or about Eliza R. Sunderland at the Internet Archive