ed by Mrs. French, elected as president Mrs. James
M. McCormack, who was first vice-president. Mrs. French was
unanimously elected by a part of the original association, which had
obtained a charter October 13, incorporating the name Tennessee Equal
Suffrage Association. This association continued to be a dominating
force in suffrage activities. Mrs. French resigned the presidency
April 1, 1915, and her unexpired term was filled by the
vice-president-at-large, Mrs. John M. Kenny of Nashville. The holding
of the annual convention of the National Association in Nashville Nov.
12-17, 1914, was the turning point in the history of suffrage in
Tennessee because of its far-reaching educational propaganda and
because Nashville was the political center of the State.

Mrs. Dudley was elected president at the State convention held at
Jackson in October, 1915. She went to east, west and middle Tennessee,
visiting in the first year of her administration nineteen towns, many
of them twice, and assisting the Campaign Committee in organizing
fourteen. She made addresses in twenty-two different cities. Toward
the end of the year Miss Sue S. White, of Jackson, the recording
secretary, a court stenographer and business woman, gave a month to
organizing the headquarters staff and making plans to carry forward
the work in a businesslike way.[165]

Mrs. Catt was making a strong effort to have the various States follow
the same policy at the same time and thereby each could contribute to
the national victory. With the view of securing woman suffrage planks
in both Democratic and Republican national platforms, each association
was asked to secure endorsement from its political State conventions.
Early in January, 1916, Mrs. Dudley and Mrs. Kenny went before the
executive committees of both parties, asking for a plank in the
platforms and also that delegates be instructed to vote for a suffrage
plank in the national platform this year. In May Mrs. Dudley spoke
before the platform committees and the conventions of both endorsed
woman suffrage. Former Governor Ben Hooper, Mr. and Mrs. James S.
Beasley, the Hon. H. Clay Evans and Harry Anderson were of much
assistance with the Republicans and Governor Tom C. Rye and U. S.
Senator Kenneth D. McKellar secured the resolution from the Democrats.

Tennessee sent seven women to the Republican national convention in
Chicago, who marched in the famous parade through wind and rain to the
convention hall