Laidlaw, Harriet Burton (1873–1949)

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Laidlaw, Harriet Burton (1873–1949)

American suffragist. Born Harriet Davenport Wright Burton, Dec 16, 1873, in Albany, NY; died Jan 25, 1949, in New York, NY; dau. of George Davidson Burton (bank cashier) and Alice Davenport (Wright) Burton; Albany Normal School (later New York State College for Teachers), Master of Pedagogy, 1896; m. James Lees Laidlaw (banker), Oct 25, 1905 (died 1932); children: 1 daughter.

Served as Manhattan borough chair (1909–16) and vice-chair of New York Woman Suffrage Party; traveled on speaking tours of Far West with husband (1911, 1914); was 2nd auditor (1911–13) and director (from 1917) of National American Woman Suffrage Association; after ratification of 19th Amendment, channeled energy into host of other causes, including international peace, political reform in NY, and reciprocal-trade legislation.