Alva Vanderbilt Belmont was a supporter of women’s suffrage who provided the financial backing for many of the movement’s campaigns and endeavors. As a wealthy woman who moved in the upper circles of society, Alva had a lot of influence and resources, and she directed them toward the cause of demanding the right to vote for American women. She funded the headquarters of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and paid for its publications, and she even used her own house to host events. She was president of the New York Political Equality League and served on the board of the National Women’s Party. She wasn’t just a figurehead with a bank account either; she also wrote pamphlets and articles on suffrage and participated in picketing campaigns. Alva was noted for her strong opinions (all the best women are), her aristocratic attitude, and her very shocking divorce following her husband’s adultery, to which she proclaimed that it was unusual for anyone to tell a man he did something wrong. And though she may have appeared to be a rich snob, she was one of the few to include African Americans and minorities to some extent in her undertakings, and she also supported worker strikes for better pay, even paying the bail money for strikers. Another little interesting fact that shows how down-to-earth and complex a person she could be–Alva was also one of the first female members of the American Institute of Architects, and she enjoyed designing mansions. Alva Vanderbilt Belmont was one of those women who never did anything half way—when she cared about something, she was all in, all the way, and the wholehearted attention she turned to the women’s suffrage movement gave a great momentum to the cause and its ultimate success.
Today, be inspired to…Go all in on whatever you do today. No halfway measures, no lukewarm efforts.
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She Made A Difference 