Hunt, Mary Hanchett (1830–1906)

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Hunt, Mary Hanchett (1830–1906)

American temperance leader. Born Mary Hannah Hanchett, June 4, 1830, in South Canaan, Connecticut; died April 24, 1906, in Dorchester, MA; dau. of Ephraim Hanchett and Nancy (Swift) Hanchett; attended Amenia Seminary in NY; attended Patapsco Female Institute, near Baltimore; m. Leander B. Hunt, Oct 1852; children: Alfred E. Hunt (chemist and engineer).

Promoted temperance on scientific grounds; became national superintendent of Department of Scientific Temperance Instruction of WCTU (1880); worked successfully toward goal of mandatory temperance instruction in public schools; held position with World's WCTU comparable to her local position (from 1890); served as editor of Scientific Temperance Monthly Advices (from 1892). Writings include A History of the First Decade of the Department of Scientific Temperance Instruction in Schools and Colleges (1891) and An Epoch of the Nineteenth Century (1897).