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Belva Ann Lockwood Collection

An inventory of her collection at the Syracuse University Archives


Finding aid created by: Amanda H. Galvin
Date: 2008

Biography

Belva Ann Lockwood

Belva Ann Lockwood was born Belva Ann Bennett on 24 October 1830 in Royalton, New York. She was educated in the district school and the local academy in Royalton and worked as a teacher during the summers to fund her education.

Lockwood married a young farmer, Uriah McNall, in 1848, but he suffered an untimely death in 1853, leaving her widowed with a daughter, Luna. To support her family, she taught for $3 a week, while men of the same position were earning up to double her wage. Enraged by this, Lockwood decided to fortify herself with a college education and enrolled at Genesee College as part of the class of 1857.

In 1868, Lockwood married a Baptist clergyman of Washington D.C., Rev. Dr. Ezekial Lockwood, and soon after began to study law at the National University Law School. In 1871 she earned a Master of Arts degree from Syracuse University and in 1908 she earned a Doctor of Laws degree. In 1879, when Congress passed a bill permitting women to practice before the Supreme Court, she became the first woman to do so.

In 1884 Lockwood was nominated for the U.S. presidency by the Equal Rights party and was re-nominated in 1888, making her the first woman to run for president in the United States. She did this while women were still not allowed the vote.

Lockwood went on to be a delegate of the Universal Peace Union to the International Peace Conference, the president of the Women’s National Press Association, the dean of twenty ambassadors to the Women’s Convention, and a member of the Nobel Peace Prize nominating committee.

Lockwood died on 19 May 1917. In 1986 she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and the United States Postal Service issued a Belva Lockwood stamp.

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Scope and Content Note

The Lockwood Collection includes articles and newspaper clippings about her and papers, correspondence and writings by her. There are also photographs taken throughout her adult life, biographical material and obituaries. Alumni records are included with a focus on the relationship between Genesee College and Syracuse University.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

There are no restrictions for accessing this material.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

The University Archives also holds a clipping file on Lockwood.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Lockwood, Belva Ann, 1830-1917.

Subjects

Syracuse University -- Students.
Women presidential candidates.
Genesee College.
Syracuse (N.Y.) -- History.
Higher education.
Lawyer.

Types of Material

Correspondence.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Belva Ann Lockwood Collection,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

There is no evidence of when or by whom the Lockwood Collection was donated to the Archives, but between 2001 and 2005 Jill Norgren donated one CD, one magazine and two articles.

Processing Information

The materials in this collection have been placed in acid free folders. Photographs and delicate newspaper clippings have been placed in mylar sleeves.

Arrangement

The folders in the collection are arranged alphabetically.

Table of Contents

Subject Files

Inventory