Hear Us - Honoring the Contributions of Women to Public Life in Massachusetts



B
oston, MA. – Hear Us is a permanent exhibit displayed inside the Massachusetts State House next to Doric Hall.  The exhibit, created by artists Sheila Levrant de Bretteville and Susan Sellers was completed in October 1999.  The exhibit pays tribute to the contributions of six women to public life in Massachusetts.  The honorees are: Dorothea Dix, Lucy Stone, Sarah Parker Remond, Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, Mary Kenney O’Sullivan, and Florence Luscomb.

The exhibit features a marble panel for each individual.  Each panel has a bronze bust of the honoree and two quotations from their speeches or writings.  The exhibit is the main component of the State House Women’s Leadership Project which was initiated by the Massachusetts State Senate in 1995.  The artwork for the exhibit was commissioned by the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.

Dorothea Dix (1802 – 1887): Her report, Memorial to the Legislature of Massachusetts was published in 1843. Dix helped to increase funding for the Worcester State Asylum. She played an instrumental role in founding 32 mental hospitals in the U.S.

Lucy Stone (1818 – 1893): One of the first women from Massachusetts to earn a college degree, graduated in 1847 from Oberlin College. Stone founded the American Woman Suffrage Association.

Sarah Parker Remond (1824 – 1894): Was a lecturer with the American Anti-Slavery Society. Entered medical school at age 42 and eventually became a doctor.

Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin (1842 – 1924): Founded Woman’s Era the first paper published by and for African American women. Ruffin was the co-founder of the League of Women for Community Service.

Mary Kenney O’Sullivan (1864 – 1943): First woman organizer for the American Federation of Labor. Co-founder of the National Women’s Trade Union League.

Florence Luscomb (1887 – 1985): Graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1909. One of the first American women to receive a degree in architecture. Served on the boards of the Massachusetts Civil Liberties Union and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Boston branch.
Hear Us exhibit created by Sheila Levrant de Bretteville and Susan Sellers

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