arrie
Chapman Catt, president of the National American Woman Suffrage
Association, lectured in Houston under its auspices. During the summer
Annette and Elizabeth Finnigan spoke several times in Galveston and
secured a suffrage committee of twenty-five there. With this nucleus a
State Woman Suffrage Association was organized at a convention held in
Houston, in December, which lasted two days and was well attended. Dr.
Anna Howard Shaw, vice-president of the National Association, was
present at all the sessions, spoke at both evening meetings and took a
deep interest in the new organization. Annette Finnigan was elected
State president and during the following year made an effort to
organize in Beaumont, San Antonio and Austin but the women, although
interested, were too timid to organize for suffrage. Mrs. Charlotte
Perkins Gilman spoke under the auspices of the league.

The second State convention or conference was held in Houston in
December, 1904, Galveston and La Porte being represented. Reports were
given and officers elected, Annette Finnigan remaining president. The
Houston league had a paid up membership of one hundred, regular
meetings were held and the subject of woman suffrage was kept
constantly before the public. An effort was made to get a woman on the
school board but the Mayor refused to appoint one. Among those active
in the work were Althea Jones, Miss Mary W. Roper, Mrs. E. F. and Miss
Ruby McGowen of Houston; Mrs. A. Adella Penfield of La Porte, Mrs. C.
H. Moore and Miss Julia Runge of Galveston. The Finnigan sisters were
the leaders and the league prospered for several years until they left
the State. The movement became inactive and the society formed in
Austin in 1908 with twenty-five members was the only one that
continued.

In 1912 through the efforts of Miss M. Eleanor Brackenridge of San
Antonio and Miss Anna Maxwell Jones, a Texas woman residing in New
York, suffrage clubs were organized in San Antonio, Galveston, Dallas,
Waco, Tyler and San Marcos. Miss Finnigan returned to Texas and the
Houston league was revived. The third State convention was held in San
Antonio in March, 1913. Miss Brackenridge was elected president, Miss
Finnigan honorary president. The convention was spirited and showed
that the suffrage movement was well launched. This was just ten years
after the first club was started. Miss Brackenridge possessed large
means and a wide acquaintance and gave much prestige to the
a