Lucy Somerville Howorth

Book excerpt: Mississippi native Lucy Somerville Howorth (1895–1997) championed for the rights of women long before feminism was a widely recognized movement. Dorothy S. Shawhan and Martha H. Swain tell her remarkable life story—from her small-town upbringing to her career as an attorney, to her role as a New Deal activist in Washington D.C. Howorth became known for her leadership qualities and quick appraisal of social problems, particularly as they affected women. She became general counsel of the War Claims Commission and held a presidential appointment under four different presidents. This first-ever biography of Howorth bestows long-overdue recognition of her many achievements and illuminates the activism of women long before the women's movement.