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Adolphine Fletcher Terry
Adolphine Fletcher Terry (1882–1976) was an American political and social activist in the state of Arkansas. Terry leveraged her position within the Little Rock community to affect change in causes related to social justice, women's rights, racial equality, housing, and education. Fletcher is most remembered for her role on the Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools (WEC) that was primarily responsible for reopening the Little Rock, Arkansas, public school system and bringing to a close the school district closing in 1958, following the Crisis at Little Rock Central High. In its "Millennium Poll" in 2000, the Arkansas Historical Association named Terry one of the state's 15 most significant figures in state history.
Terry was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on November 3, 1882, to a socially and politically prominent family. She was the daughter of John Gould Fletcher (I), an Arkansas native and Confederate officer who became one of the South's leading cotton brokers and a prominent bank president. He was elected the first sheriff of Pulaski County and later served as mayor of Little Rock (1875 to 1881); he was unsuccessful in three bids for governor and one for Congress. Terry's mother was the former Adolphine Krause, daughter of a Little Rock merchant and a German immigrant. Terry had two younger siblings: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Gould Fletcher and suffragist Mary Fletcher Drennan.
Before marrying John Gould Fletcher, Terry's mother was compelled to leave school and abandon her pursuit of a career in music to care for her ailing mother and siblings. Because of this experience, Adolphine Krause became highly protective of her own children and encouraged educational achievements. Terry and her siblings were typically overdressed in layers of heavy cotton fabric, even in the heat of summer, and were discouraged from adventurous play for fear they would be injured.
In 1889, the Fletcher family purchased the former home of Albert Pike at 411 7th Street in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Greek Revival style home most recently housed the Arkansas Female College, and the Fletchers made significant improvements to restore it to a family residence. Terry would grow up, marry and live most of the rest of her life in that home, which served as the headquarters for her later activism and became known as the Pike–Fletcher–Terry House.
In her unpublished autobiography, Terry recalled an early "lesson in justice" that influenced her view of race relations. A cousin accused a young black house servant of stealing a diamond ring and demanded his arrest, only to find it hidden in the ruffles of her dress. At a time when such a charge would likely end in mob justice for the accused, the cousin went on with her day without a second thought. Terry, however, realized how the casual accusation imperiled the boy, and she never forgot the incident.
Like many privileged women of her time, Terry entered college at the early age of 15 after graduating Peabody High School in 1898. Following the wishes of her mother, became only the second Arkansan to attend the prestigious Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Vassar's curriculum engaged Terry with community issues of her time, taught her to think independently and planted a seed for social activism in her life. She also credits the influence of classmate Lucy Burns—who would go on to become one of the key figures to win passage of the 19th Amendment—for imparting a different view of race than she learned from her Southern upbringing. Terry graduated in 1902 and returned to Arkansas "... ready to change the world and she kept trying until her dying day to do it," according to her friend Judge Edwin Dunaway.
Shortly after returning from college, Terry involved herself in many local clubs and activities like many other women of her time. Terry wasn't satisfied with just attending parties and appearing as a debutante. As a southern new woman, Terry felt the desire to join clubs and involve herself in the needs of her community. Throughout her life that need permeated her everyday and Terry became a champion for causes both small and large, and she used her position to help others less fortunate than herself.
In 1905 Terry was responsible for co-founding the Southern Association for College Women which provided a forum for college educated women to discuss issues that were important to them. This organization would later become the Arkansas Association for University Women a division of the American Association of University Women. She also helped with education reform, pushing for school consolidation throughout the state of Arkansas. She was an advocate of hiring professional school administrators and formed the first school improvement association in the state. Terry maintained an interest in education throughout her life and led efforts to consolidate school districts and provide transportation for rural students.
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Adolphine Fletcher Terry
Adolphine Fletcher Terry (1882–1976) was an American political and social activist in the state of Arkansas. Terry leveraged her position within the Little Rock community to affect change in causes related to social justice, women's rights, racial equality, housing, and education. Fletcher is most remembered for her role on the Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools (WEC) that was primarily responsible for reopening the Little Rock, Arkansas, public school system and bringing to a close the school district closing in 1958, following the Crisis at Little Rock Central High. In its "Millennium Poll" in 2000, the Arkansas Historical Association named Terry one of the state's 15 most significant figures in state history.
Terry was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on November 3, 1882, to a socially and politically prominent family. She was the daughter of John Gould Fletcher (I), an Arkansas native and Confederate officer who became one of the South's leading cotton brokers and a prominent bank president. He was elected the first sheriff of Pulaski County and later served as mayor of Little Rock (1875 to 1881); he was unsuccessful in three bids for governor and one for Congress. Terry's mother was the former Adolphine Krause, daughter of a Little Rock merchant and a German immigrant. Terry had two younger siblings: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Gould Fletcher and suffragist Mary Fletcher Drennan.
Before marrying John Gould Fletcher, Terry's mother was compelled to leave school and abandon her pursuit of a career in music to care for her ailing mother and siblings. Because of this experience, Adolphine Krause became highly protective of her own children and encouraged educational achievements. Terry and her siblings were typically overdressed in layers of heavy cotton fabric, even in the heat of summer, and were discouraged from adventurous play for fear they would be injured.
In 1889, the Fletcher family purchased the former home of Albert Pike at 411 7th Street in Little Rock, Arkansas. The Greek Revival style home most recently housed the Arkansas Female College, and the Fletchers made significant improvements to restore it to a family residence. Terry would grow up, marry and live most of the rest of her life in that home, which served as the headquarters for her later activism and became known as the Pike–Fletcher–Terry House.
In her unpublished autobiography, Terry recalled an early "lesson in justice" that influenced her view of race relations. A cousin accused a young black house servant of stealing a diamond ring and demanded his arrest, only to find it hidden in the ruffles of her dress. At a time when such a charge would likely end in mob justice for the accused, the cousin went on with her day without a second thought. Terry, however, realized how the casual accusation imperiled the boy, and she never forgot the incident.
Like many privileged women of her time, Terry entered college at the early age of 15 after graduating Peabody High School in 1898. Following the wishes of her mother, became only the second Arkansan to attend the prestigious Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Vassar's curriculum engaged Terry with community issues of her time, taught her to think independently and planted a seed for social activism in her life. She also credits the influence of classmate Lucy Burns—who would go on to become one of the key figures to win passage of the 19th Amendment—for imparting a different view of race than she learned from her Southern upbringing. Terry graduated in 1902 and returned to Arkansas "... ready to change the world and she kept trying until her dying day to do it," according to her friend Judge Edwin Dunaway.
Shortly after returning from college, Terry involved herself in many local clubs and activities like many other women of her time. Terry wasn't satisfied with just attending parties and appearing as a debutante. As a southern new woman, Terry felt the desire to join clubs and involve herself in the needs of her community. Throughout her life that need permeated her everyday and Terry became a champion for causes both small and large, and she used her position to help others less fortunate than herself.
In 1905 Terry was responsible for co-founding the Southern Association for College Women which provided a forum for college educated women to discuss issues that were important to them. This organization would later become the Arkansas Association for University Women a division of the American Association of University Women. She also helped with education reform, pushing for school consolidation throughout the state of Arkansas. She was an advocate of hiring professional school administrators and formed the first school improvement association in the state. Terry maintained an interest in education throughout her life and led efforts to consolidate school districts and provide transportation for rural students.
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