e familiar in the later records of suffrage
work.

The first part of the league's program succeeded and a woman was
elected to the school board of Indianapolis. At the same time the
women of Terre Haute, where under a new law the school board was
elective, made a like attempt through the Woman's Club and the local
suffrage society and were also successful. These were the only places
where school boards were elective. Many women showed themselves eager
to work for a woman on the school board who were indifferent to the
larger aspects of suffrage. It was soon clear, however, that the
schools could not stand alone in municipal affairs but where boards
were not elected it would be necessary to vote for Mayor and
councilmen to influence school conditions, therefore on April 21,
1911, the organization dropped the word "school" from its title and
became the Woman's Franchise League of Indiana. Dr. Keller continued
as president and associated with her as officers were Mrs. Meredith
Nicholson and Mrs. McWhirter, vice presidents; Mrs. Henderson,
secretary; Mrs. Barnhill, treasurer.

A State convention of the league was held in Indianapolis April 12,
1912, and one took place annually after that date, always in the
capital. At this convention Dr. Martha Griffiths of Crawfordsville and
Dr. Adah McMahon of Lafayette were added to the directors. This year
the league affiliated with the National American Woman Suffrage
Association.[47] By May, 1916, there were sixty branch leagues and
3,000 members; in May, 1919, there were 300 branches and 16,000
members. Dr. Keller continued as president until the convention of
1917, when Mrs. Richard E. Edwards of Peru was elected and served two
years. At the convention of 1919 Miss Helen Benbridge of Terre Haute
was chosen. The Franchise League was exceedingly fortunate in its
three presidents, who gave the most of their time, thought and effort
to its demands without salary. Dr. Keller organized it largely through
the force of her own personality and was able to gather around her
other strong and determined women through whom the idea of suffrage
was carried out into the State. Mrs. Edwards took up the work of more
intensive organization of the State outside of Indianapolis and
succeeded, with Miss Benbridge as State organizer, in multiplying the
branch leagues and the members by five. Miss Benbridge's work as
president was that of consolidating these gains and directing the
women in the use of