Katharine Lent Stevenson
{{Short description| American temperance reformer and editor (1853–1919)}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Katharine Lent Stevenson
| image = Katharine Lente Stevenson (Souvenir of the 31st convention of the Massachusetts W.C.T.U., 1904).png
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| alt = B&W oval portrait photo of a middle-aged woman with her hair in an up-do, wearing a dark blouse with a white frilly collar, and a white ribbon pinned on the blouse.
| caption = (1904)
| pseudonym =
| birth_name = Katharine Lent
| birth_date = May 8, 1853
| birth_place = Copake, New York, U.S.
| death_date = 1919
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| occupation = reformer, missionary, editor
| language = English
| education =
| alma_mater = Boston University School of Theology
| period =
| genre =
| subject =
| movement = temperance
| notableworks =
| spouse = James Stevenson
| children =
| relatives =
| awards =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| years_active =
}}
Katharine Lent Stevenson ({{nee}}, Lent; May 8, 1853 – 1919) was an American temperance reformer, missionary, and editor. She was a successful platform speaker, writer, and officer of the World Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WWCTU) on whose behalf she also visited Japan, China, India, Australia and other countries as a missionary.{{sfn|Christian Advocate|1910|p=1837}} She also served as president of the Massachusetts WCTU in 1898.{{cite book |last1=Leonard |first1=John William |title=Woman's Who's who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914-1915 |date=1914 |publisher=American Commonwealth Company |page=781 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wXFkAAAAMAAJ |access-date=10 October 2023 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}
Early life and education
Katharine (sometimes spelled "Katherine") Lent (sometimes spelled "Lente"){{sfn|Tyrrell|2010|p=277}}{{sfn|Woman's Christian Temperance Union|1909|p=1}} was born in Copake, New York, May 8, 1853. Her father was Marvin R. Lente; her mother, Hannah Lonzada. On the mother's side, she was of Jewish ancestry.{{sfn|Chapin|1895|p=19}}
In 1881, Stevenson graduated from Boston University School of Theology, the only woman in her class, and pronounced by the dean "the best balanced mind in the school."{{sfn|Chapin|1895|p=19}}
Career
The refusal of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church to recognize women as preachers terminated her ministry as associate pastor of the Methodist church in Allston, Massachusetts, but it was her dream to be in charge of a church — Methodist if it may be, Independent if it must be.{{sfn|Chapin|1895|p=19}}
After marrying James Stevenson, a merchant of Boston, Newton, Massachusetts became her home.{{sfn|Chapin|1895|p=20}}
=WCTU=
In 1893, she removed to Chicago to serve as editor of the Books and Leaflets Department for the Woman's Temperance Publishing Association, and contributing editor to the National WCTU's The Union Signal. In November, 1894, the National WCTU showed its appreciation of her two years' service, 1891–93, as Corresponding Secretary of the Massachusetts WCTU by electing her to the same office in the national organization.{{sfn|Chapin|1895|p=20}}
In September 1909, she traveled to Christchurch, New Zealand and spoke on behalf of temperance.{{cite news |last1=Zealand |first1=National Library of New |title=Papers Past - MRS K. LENTE STEVENSON |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS19090913.2.13 |access-date=29 August 2018 |work=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz |publisher=Star |date=13 September 1909}} {{open access}} She then went to Tasmania for a week before going to Australia.{{cite journal |last1=Stevenson |first1=Katherine Lente |title=Letter from Mrs. K.L. Stevenson |journal=The White Ribbon (NZ) |date=16 January 1911 |volume=16 |issue=187 |page=3 |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/WHIRIB19110116.2.5 |access-date=12 May 2021}} In November, Stevenson toured Australia in the interests of temperance reform, sent by the WWCTU as a representative of the world's officers of the Union on a special mission to the educational institutions of the Far East, including India, China, Japan, and Burma. Australia was not on her program, but when she had finished in China and Japan, she resolved, on her own account, to make a tour through Australia to see it, and to help the temperance workers in the chief centers.{{cite news |title=MRS. KATHERINE L STEVENSON'S VISIT. |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/77457178 |access-date=29 August 2018 |work=Border Watch |date=10 November 1909 |page=2}} {{open access}} She traveled from Bombay to Egypt, Israel, Greece and Italy before she came to London.
In June 1910, Stevenson attended the eighth Triennial convention of the WWCTU in Glasgow. She was appointed to oversee the WWCTU Missionary Fund Department.
Personal life
Stevenson was also a homemaker and step-mother to three daughters.{{sfn|Chapin|1895|p=20}} She was a member of Good Templars Commonwealth Lodge of Boston.{{sfn|Parker|1908|p=396}} She died in 1919.{{sfn|Tyler|1949|p=273}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
=Attribution=
- {{Source-attribution| {{cite book|last=Chapin|first=Clara Christiana Morgan|title=Thumb Nail Sketches of White Ribbon Women|url=https://archive.org/details/thumbnailsketch00chapgoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/thumbnailsketch00chapgoog/page/n57 19]|edition=Public domain|year=1895|publisher=Woman's temperance publishing association}} }}
- {{Source-attribution| {{cite book|author=Christian Advocate|title=Christian Advocate|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iC0xAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1837|edition=Public domain|volume=85|year=1910|publisher=Christian Advocate}} }}
- {{Source-attribution| {{cite book|last=Parker|first=B. F.|title=The International Good Templar|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=30E2AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA396|edition=Public domain|year=1908|publisher=B.F. Parker}} }}
- {{cite book|last=Tyler|first=Helen E.|title=Where Prayer and Purpose Meet: The WCTU Story, 1874-1949|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e9rkAAAAMAAJ|year=1949|publisher=Signal Press}}
- {{Source-attribution| {{cite book|author=Woman's Christian Temperance Union|title=World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union: Mrs. Katherine Lent Stevenson, Special Representative|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Di7yNAAACAAJ|edition=Public domain|year=1909|publisher=W.C.T.U.}} }}
=Bibliography=
- {{cite book|last=Tyrrell|first=Ian|title=Reforming the World: The Creation of America's Moral Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QdJd6eIEmxAC&pg=PA277|date=1 July 2010|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-1-4008-3663-5}}
External links
- {{Internet Archive author |sname=Katharine Lent Stevenson}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stevenson, Katharine Lent}}
Category:19th-century American writers
Category:19th-century American women writers
Category:19th-century American newspaper editors
Category:Presidents of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
Category:American temperance activists
Category:Writers from New York (state)
Category:American women newspaper editors