Article by: Dr. June DePonte-Sernak, Board Chair, Alice Paul Institute

The National Register of Historic Places houses the official list of more than 90,000 locations providing culturally significant architecture, art and structural content.  The Register was established as part of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and continues to be overseen by the National Park Service.  Many of these historic locations operate as charitable nonprofits to share the mission and vision of their history and story telling of the adventures of their heroes and heroines that shaped our nation and folklore. Out of the vast number of National Historic Locations, less than 4% are designated to the historic footprint of women.  One of the most significant sites is the Alice Paul Institute in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. The Alice Paul Institute is a nationally recognized non-profit organization headquartered at Paulsdale, a National Historic Landmark marking the birthplace of Alice Paul. Nestled on six acres, the childhood home of suffragist Alice Paul, is dedicated to continuing Alice Paul’s work toward securing lasting and legal protection for equal rights for all.  The Alice Paul Institute, founded in 1984 as the Alice Paul Centennial Foundation to commemorate the centennial of Paul’s 1885 birth. Managed by staff, dozens of volunteers, and a board of directors, they work diligently to ensure leadership development, civic engagement, and historic preservation as a pillar of historic advocacy for gender justice.  Few individuals have had as much impact on American history as has Alice Paul. Her life symbolizes the long struggle for justice in the United States and around the world. Her vision was the ordinary notion that women and men should be equal partners in society that is a relevant topic in many circles to date.

Alice’s life reads like a Hollywood story full of drama and intrigue as she was the architect of some of the most outstanding political achievements on behalf of women in the 20th century. Dedicating her life to the single cause of securing equal rights for all led her from New Jersey to England then to Washington, D.C., the site of her adulthood home of Belmont Paul just blocks from the Library of Congress.  While studying at the University of Pennsylvania, she joined the National American Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA), one of the leading national organizations working for women’s suffrage and was appointed to lead the Congressional Committee, taking charge of promoting a federal suffrage amendment. She was educated achieving her PhD and courageous in navigating political waters to ensure her voice was heard on Capitol Hill.  Her work was marked with protests, multiple incarcerations and culminated in the Suffragist Parade in 1913 the day before Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration with close to 10,000 marchers in attendance.  

She was a leader in the fight to ratify the 19th Amendment in 1920 to extend voting rights to women during tumultuous racial times in the U.S. as women of color such as Ida B. Wells and Mary Church Terrell simultaneously led their efforts not fully realized until 50 years later.  Alice Paul went on to author the Equal Rights Amendment 1923 and spent the rest of her life fighting for its ratification to ensure the U.S. Constitution protects women and men equally.  It has been 101 years since she penned the ERA in Seneca Falls, NY that has yet to be codified into the Constitution.  The Alice Paul Institute is currently active in national advocacy to promote the ERA and Gender Justice, cementing equal rights for all through events such as Equality Day in August and programs with their Girls Leadership Council.

Tony Award Winner! BEST Book Of A Musical, Original Score

In 2024, the Tony Award winning musical, Suffs hit the Music Box Theater on Broadway created by Shaina Taub resurrecting the tireless fight for the right to vote through the lens of Alice and the Suffragists that led our nation and their passionate struggle for equality.  Suffs continues to be a beacon for education and advocacy hosting many preview events such as ERA Night with members of the Alice Paul staff, board of directors and Girls Leadership Council highlighted with a panel discussion featuring journalist and social activist, Gloria Steinem. Steinem is recognized worldwide for her work with second-wave feminism and establishing programs such as Take Our Daughters to Work Day, for young girls to learn about future career opportunities.

The stories of suffrage include decades of women such as Native Americans Zitkala Sa (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin) and Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin to African American reformers such as Harriet Tubman and Nannie Helen Burroughs who understood that their race and sex affected their rights to vote.  Their efforts paved the way for many women who continue to fight for equality like Congresswomen Cory Bush (MO) and Ayanna Pressley (MA) who in 2023 (100 years after the ERA) launched the first ever Congressional Equal Rights Amendment Caucus to affirm the ERA as the 28th Amendment and establish constitutional gender equality as a national priority. 

American history is full of amazing narratives of history both triumphant and tragic. These are the stories of our ancestors and the legends that defined our nation.  They share the principles of our cultural journey and the foundation for our current infrastructure uniting our patriotism with empathy and compassion.  Visiting National Historic Locations, volunteering or joining a board of directors provides a front row seat to our history and opportunity to advocate for social causes such as hunger relief, wellness and education that inspire people from every demographic.  

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