Emma B. Alrich

Emma B. Alrich

Emma B. Alrich (April 4, 1845 – December 15, 1925) was an American journalist, author and educator. Though she hailed from New Jersey, she removed to Kansas after marriage. Alrich served as Filing Clerk of the Kansas Legislature, and was the only woman in her day who served as superintendent of the city schools of Mitchell County, Kansas. She was a charter member of the National Woman's Relief Corps, as well as its national senior vice present; as well as department president of Kansas, and charter member of the organization in 1883 at Denver, Colorado.

Early years and education

Emma Eldridge was born in Cape May County, New Jersey, April 4, 1845. She was a first child, and no attempt was made to guard against precocity. At the age of three years, a New Testament was given her as a prize for reading its chapters, and at five years she picked blackberries to buy an arithmetic. At 12 years of age, she joined the Baptist Church. At that time, she began to write for the county paper.

At age 16, Alrich taught the summer school at her home. In 1862, she entered the State Normal School (now The College of New Jersey) in Trenton, New Jersey, going out for six months in the middle of the course to earn the money for finishing it. She was graduated in June, 1864, as valedictorian of her class.

Career

Alrich began to teach in a summer school on the Monday morning following her graduation. on February 13, 1886, she married to Levi L. Alrich, who had won laurels as one of Baker's Cavalry, of 71st Pennsylvania Regiment. Her first two years of married life were spent in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1876, the Centennial opened up new possibilities and the couple settled in Cawker City, Kansas. There, she again taught school, was the first woman in Mitchell County to take the highest grade certificate, and the only woman at the time who served as superintendent of the city schools. She was a warm supporter of teachers' meetings, church social gatherings, a public library and a woman's club. In 1883, her husband's failing health compelled a change in business. He bought the Free Press, and changed its name to the Public Record. All the work of the office was done by their own family, and each did every part of it. Besides her journalistic work, she served two years on the board of teachers' examiners. She was one of the 40 who organized the National Woman's Relief Corps, one of the three who founded the Woman's Hesperian Library Club, and was the founder of the Kansas Woman's Press Association. She had little time for purely literary work. She died December 15, 1925, in Cawker City, and was buried in the Prairie Grove Cemetery.

References

Attribution

• This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: Woman's Relief Corps (U.S.), Department of Kansas (1915). Journal of the ... Annual Convention of the Department of Kansas, Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic (Public domain ed.). The Department of Kansas. {{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.). Moulton. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Bibliography

• Connelley, William Elsey (1928). History of Kansas, State and People: Kansas at the First Quarter Post of the Twentieth Century. American Historical Society. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Legislative Assembly of the State of Kansas (1925). House Journal. State Printer. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Woman's Relief Corps (U.S.) (1924). Journal of the ... Annual Convention of the Department of Kansas, Woman's Relief Corps, Auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic. Department of Kansas. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

• Works by or about Emma B. Alrich at the Internet Archive