Mary Frances Lovell
American writer and social reformer (1843–1932)
Mary Frances Lovell (née Whitechurch; July 11, 1843 – September 13, 1932) was a British-born American writer, humanitarian, animal welfare and temperance advocate. She co-founded the American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS), and also, in 1859, the Women's Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (WPSPCA), serving as the latter's corresponding secretary and honorary president. She served as vice-president of the American Humane Association and through her work with the World's Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WWCTU), her humanitarian efforts were introduced into some 20 countries around the world.
Early life and education
Mary Frances Whitechurch was born in London, England, on July 11, 1843. Her father, Robert Whitechurch, was an engraver.
She came to the United States in early 1849, where she was educated in private schools.
Career
Lovell joined the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) at Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 1885. To her astonishment, she was immediately elected superintendent of the department of scientific temperance instruction in schools and colleges for the Bryn Mawr WCTU. For several years, she was actively associated with Mary H. Hunt, of the National WCTU, in her work for scientific temperance' instruction in the public schools. Due to the prolonged illness of her husband, Lovell was obliged in 1897 to resign temporarily from active WCTU work.
From childhood, Lovell had a love of animals and a hatred for any sort of cruelty.
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This entry incorporates text from “Mary Frances Lovell” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.