New York Women: Making History - Tuesday Aug. 18

Author Bruce Dearstyne to Discuss and Sign
"The Spirit of New York"

University Club Hosts Luncheon Commemorating the 95th Anniversary of the Ratification of the 19th Amendment Giving Women the Vote

The 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified by Tennessee on August 18, 1920, providing the two-thirds majority of states needed guarantee women the right to vote in the United States. Its two sections read simply: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex;” and “Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” Women in New York won the right to vote in 1917.

On Tuesday, August 18, 2015, the University Club of Albany will celebrate suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other New York women who made history with a luncheon at the National Register-listed University Club of Albany, 141 Washington Avenue at Dove Street from noon to 1:00 p.m.

Author Bruce W. Dearstyne will discuss and sign his book The Spirit of New York (State University of New York Press – June 4, 2015). The book presents New York history in a fresh way by exploring sixteen dramatic events that changed state and American history. Chapters describe political changes, historic turning points, and struggles for social, racial, and environmental reform.

Dearstyne puts the people who made history at the center of the story, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the irrepressible crusader for women’s rights; Lillian Wald and Florence Kelley, tireless and highly effective advocates for child labor reform; and Lois Gibbs, who fought for environmental justice as president of the Love Canal Homeowners Association. The momentous events illustrate the “spirit” of New York — the elusive traits that make New York State unique and a leader among the fifty states — and the complexity of its history.

Bruce W. Dearstyne has published several books and has served as a program director at the New York State Archives and on the staff of the Office of State History. He taught New York State history at the University at Albany, State University of New York, Russell Sage College, and the State University of New York at Potsdam. He resides in Guilderland.

The cost for the luncheon is $25, which may be paid at the door, or payment may be made in advance with a credit card at www.universityclubalbany.com. The event is sponsored by the University Club Foundation and one need not be a member of the Club to attend.

The Club will serve a hot and cold buffet from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m., with the program commencing at 12:30. The book signing will follow the luncheon, and books will be available for purchase courtesy of The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza for $22.

Reservations for the August 18 luncheon are required by Friday, August 14 and may be made by prepaying online, by calling the Club at 518-463-1151 or by e-mail.

The luncheon is presented by the University Club of Albany Foundation, a 501c3 corporation formed in 2009 to recognize and maintain the unique historic and architectural significance of the National Register-listed University Club building, its historic neighborhood and the city of Albany, where it has been located since its inception in 1901. Support for educational programming at the University Club is provided by AT&T.

For more information about the University Club, visit www.universityclubalbany.com .