User:HelenHoy

'Helen Katharine Hoy Greeley (Jan. 20, 1878 to Nov. 21, 1965), legislative counsel, lawyer, popular and eloquent speaker, activist for humanitarian principles, political organizer, and champion of rights for the oppressed and abused and for environmental protection, particularly of federal lands and national forests. While much of Helen Hoy Greeley's work was documented in newspaper articles of her day, no books or journal articles have yet been written about her life or her most significant accomplishments. The rich source materials for this article are the original letters and carbon copies of drafts of her letters that are among the materials in the archives of the Helen Hoy Greeley Center for Peace (which is in the process of being established).

Early Distinction as a Speaker and Brilliant Intellect Helen Hoy Greeley was first recognized as an extraordinary publc speaker during her high school years. As noted in the Journal 6/8/1895, shortly after she graduated from Albany [NY] High School, "Miss Hoy… is possessed of as graceful a stage presence as has ever been seen in the High school chapel. Her voice is wonderfully clear and well modulated.'  She graduated from Vassar College in 1899, majoring in Greek, then earned her law degree from New York University Law School.  She attended New York University Law School on a full scholarship awarded for her achievements in the Women's Law Class (1901) of New York University.  After she graduated first in her class (1906) from New York University Law School, she worked as a partner in a law firm comprised of female lawyers.  That year she was commissioned by the Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School to write a chapter in Great American Lawyers'' about the life and work of Harold Dudley Field.  This work shows early evidence of her political savvy and appreciation for public service and organization. David Dudley Field was a major proponent and worked for years to codify civil law and procedure. He also worked tirelessly to secure the nomination of soon-to-be President Lincoln.

'First Work in Advocacy and Politics Her primary interest and work was for civic improvements, which became apparent soon after she began legal work. She organized neighborhoods to advocate for a park for children in the East Side and depress the railroad that ran up Eleventh Avenue. Helen Katherine Hoy (not yet married) served as Secretary of the Committee of Fifty, which wasformed to mobilize public opinion and prompt public officials to create a public park in Chelsea, NYC, removing slaughter houses and fat-rendering plants there, and to remove the steam engine-powered railroad line from Eleventh (“Death”) Avenue. HKH helped recruit and/or served with such community leaders as the Secretary of the Filipino Progress Association, pastors, members of settlement houses, other lawyers, and elected officials to accomplish these goals. Harriett Stanton Blatch (Harriot_Eaton_Stanton_Blatch), who became a friend and colleague through various campaigns, was a featured speaker at some of the mass meetings. More than 8,000 people signed “a monster petition.” Achieving acclaim as a "woman lawyer", Helen Katherine Hoy helped revise the New York City Charter (New York Telegraph, March 23, 1908).

'''Marriage' She married Harold Dudley Greeley on August 29, 1908, a marriage that was a deep disappointment to both of them. Two years her junior and a far less gifted student, his rigid role models of what marriage should be conflicted with her consciousness of the oppression of women and the potential glories of the human spirit as discovered in her emerging assimilation of Christian Science teachings. Helen Hoy Greeley's optimistic view that human experience on earth could be changed for the better and that she could be a confident, organized, articulate change agent conflicted with her husband's bleaker view of human nature. Yet, they loved each other passionately and died within months of each other after their separation that dated from her first trip to California. Through their courtship and early years of marriage, they loved to boat on "The Bee" and play tennis together; however, he had to sell the boat to meet expenses when his accounting business foundered. After separating from her, yet likely inspired by her energy and confidence, he went on to publish articles, teach at Columbia University, serve as a distinguished colleague among accountants, write textbooks (Business Accounting in five volumes ) and serve as administrator of an evening school for business education.

Renowned Work as a Suffragist After being a director of the Woman's Municipal League and the Collegiate Suffrage League in New York City, and President of the new Cooperative Equal Suffrage League, in 1911, she went west to California where she was a leading organizer and spokesperson for the Women's Suffrage Movement in Northern California,. Then she was asked to come to Oregon, then east for the "New Jersey Next" campaign for which she was secretary and a major organizer. The women of California and Oregon contributed the funds to buy her a car to use in the New Jersey Next campaign. Her fourth and last state campaign was in New York, where she drove 10,000 miles, "carrying literature, clothes, a secretary, and at times a guest." (letter to Alice Park, June 9, 1923, see letter in Helen Hoy Greeley collection; a collection of Alice Park's documents and memorabilia is at http://womensmuseumca.org/archives.html)

"National Recognition and Respect for Legislative Work in the U.S. Congress" In 1919, Helen Hoy Greeley was commissioned to write a landmark bill that gained rank for army nurses, drawing on the experiences of ranked nurses in Great Britain and Australia. The legislation was designed to allow nurses to be more effective as professionals on and near the battlefield, giving them authority to elicit respect and command compliance as needed, to improve upon experiences of Army nurses during World War I. She masterminded the lobbying effort, harnessing the efforts of leaders and members of nursing associations throughout th USA. Her work as legislative counsel gained unanimous approval of the bill in the U. S. Congress in 1920, and she stayed to see it through the Conference Committee, where she anticipated they “may wreck and ruin my bill if I don’t watch out. Indeed there is a rumor on foot that they intend to emasculate my section.” (ltr to Adelma H. Burd, May 10, 1920).

Model and Pathbreaking Legislation for Registration and Education of Nurses Following the success of legislating rank for Army nurses and having gained the respect and trust of professional nurses throughout the country, she was contracted in late 1920 by the State of Missouri Nurses Association to draft a bill to legislate education and certification requirements for nurses and nursing assistants, thus setting new standards that helped raise the stature of nursing as a career. In 1921, she was based for the first six months in Jefferson City, Missouri to manage the passage of the bill.

"Advocating World Peace Through Disarmament and Championing the Rights of Political Prisoners" Immediately following her work to create conditions whereby nurses could be more effective, she was a leading spokesperson for world peace through disarmament. She also served as legal counsel to political prisoners of World War I and was a close friend of Senators Borah and LaFollette.

"Campaigning for Senator Robert LaFollette in Wisconsin" She was employed on the campaign staff of Senator Bob LaFollette and spoke on his behalf throughout the state of Wisconsin. Typically speaking for up to seven hours a day in three or four towns per day, she criss-crossed the State of Wisconsin where she greatly appreciated the worn hands, overalls and interest in politics of her listeners.

These paragraphs are a brief introduction to the life, work, and thoughts of Helen Katherine Hoy Greeley. Hopefully they will be expanded to inspire, motivate, guide and support efforts to achieve the goals she espoused, namely championing the rights of the oppressed, working for a more fair and just world, preserving the beauty of nature, and achieving world peace.

--HelenHoy (talk) 03:51, 10 February 2012 (UTC) (c) 2012

author: Nancy E. Boyer, Ph.D., MBA