Alice Clark and Alice Paul

Suffrage campaigners

Alice Clark. Photograph from the pamphlet 'Alice Clark of C. & J. Clark Ltd, Street, Somerset' by Margaret C. Gillett, published in 1935.
Alice Clark

Somerset-born Alice Clark came from a family of pacifist shoe-makers who were involved in the suffrage movement. American Alice Paul became a “convert” to the suffragette cause after hearing a talk by Christabel Pankhurst. 

Alice Clark - a suffragist from LSE

In 1913, Alice was interviewed by Sir John Cockburn, Mrs Knowles, Mr Pearse and William Reeves, the Director of LSE, for the Shaw Scholarship. Charlotte Townsend Shaw, wife of George Bernard Shaw, established this scholarship of 100 guineas for two years to be awarded to women only. Under the supervision of Lilian Knowles, Alice studied the working life of women in the seventeenth century. Earlier in 1913, Alice served on the Executive Committee of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS). At their suffrage pilgrimage, lasting six weeks which ended with a huge rally in Hyde Park on 26 July, Alice carried the Street Women’s Suffrage banner, made by her sister, Esther. This followed years of suffrage campaigning by the Clark family.

 

Alice Paul
Alice Paul

 

Alice Paul - a suffragette from LSE

While studying economics at Birmingham University, Alice heard a talk delivered by Christabel Pankhurst, and became a “convert” to the suffrage cause. Alice then moved to London to start a two-year sociology and economics course at LSE. She met Rachel Barrett, a peer at LSE, and enthusiastically took up the work of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), first by selling its newspaper, Votes for Women. Neither Alice nor Rachel finished their courses. In 1909, Alice took part in a deputation, led by Emmeline Pankhurst, to the House of Commons, and a number of other suffragette activities. When Alice returned to America, she took up the campaign for women's rights there. She went on to write the original Equal Rights Amendment, which was first introduced in the US Congress in 1923, and was reintroduced in every Congress until it was finally approved for submission in 1972.

Read more

Alice Clark - a suffragist from LSE by Gillian Murphy on the LSE History Blog

Alice Paul - a suffragette from LSE by Gillian Murphy on the LSE History Blog