MARY CARROLL CRAIG BRADFORD: PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO COLORADO’S WOMEN AND CHILDREN THROUGH SUFFRAGE AND EDUCATION

Abstract

This dissertation is a historical biography on the life, suffrage and educational contributions of Mary Carroll Craig Bradford, a wife, mother, suffragist, teacher and educational administrator in the state of Colorado. The purpose of this dissertation was to find out exactly what Bradford?s contributions were to her state. The initial observation was that she was an educator, but after analyzing the data, it was learned that she was so much more. She began as a woman?s rights activist and had a part in the Colorado and national suffrage campaigns. Her activism and popular reputation gained her the respect of the Colorado Democratic Party and she was nominated to run for political office. The research was accomplished by collecting and analyzing many documents. Data was found in the town of Leadville, Colorado, where she first lived and in the archives in Denver, Colorado, where she lived the remainder of her days. Pictures, letters, newspaper clippings, superintendent reports and various other documents were found that gave a perspective on her life. This dissertation described her journey to becoming an elected official and focused on her roles as a suffrage activist and eventually State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The role of state superintendent is one that is not often written about as noted in this dissertation. Several studies have been done on county or city superintendents, but very few have been done on female state superintendents. This dissertation will make a contribution to this field of research.