Helen Ring Robinson

Helen Ring Robinson (c. 1860–1923) was the first woman elected to the Colorado State Senate in 1912 and the second woman elected to any state senate in the nation. In her role as senator during the Progressive Era, she was a passionate advocate for social reform. She supported legislation that helped women, children, working people, and the mentally ill. Robinson was a leader in the national effort for women’s voting rights. She traveled throughout the country giving speeches on women’s suffrage.

Early Life and Teaching Career

Helen Margaret Ring was born in Eastport, Maine, around 1860. She was the sixth of nine children. Her family moved to Providence, Rhode Island, where she graduated from high school around 1877.

She attended Wellesley College for one year where she trained to be a teacher. Helen Ring taught school in Cleveland, Ohio and Yonkers, New York. She moved to Colorado Springs in 1893 to teach at Colorado College. In 1895 she moved to Denver, where she taught English, history, and literature at Wolfe Hall, a private girls’ school. From 1898 to 1902, she worked at the Miss Wolcott School as the head of the high school academic department.

In 1902, when she was forty-two, Helen Ring married Ewing Robinson. She became a stepmother to his daughter, Alcyon, and they developed a close relationship. At the time, it was common for women to stop working when they married. She stopped teaching and devoted her time to writing, politics, and eventually public office.

Writing, Speeches and Women’s Clubs

After her marriage, Robinson became a well-known writer for local newspapers. She wrote book reviews, interviewed prominent authors and politicians, and wrote about social justice issues. She traveled to Europe and interviewed the wives of famous authors. She adapted Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, for children. She also reported on political events, the 1908 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Robinson became involved in the women’s clubs that proliferated across the country, and especially in Denver. These clubs provided women an academic and social way to enrich their lives. Colorado’s women were granted the right to vote in 1893. Women used their clubs to champion issues that they cared about. These issues included libraries, orphanages, homes for elderly women, child labor, and marriage and voting rights.

Robinson’s most important club activity was the Denver Woman’s Press Club. She joined in 1899. The club’s membership was made up of well-known women in Denver’s writing and political community. The contacts Robinson made in the club contributed to the success of her political career. She served as president of the organization in 1909­–10, was active on committees, and made frequent presentations to the group. She became a featured speaker at conventions and clubs throughout Colorado. She gained a reputation as a feminine, maternal woman who spoke eloquently on the rights of women, children, and oppressed peoples.

“Housewife of the Senate”

Robinson’s club friends encouraged her to enter politics. Colorado granted women the right to vote in 1893. Since then, women had been elected to the Colorado House of Representatives and to other statewide offices. In 1910 Robinson, too, turned to politics. She ran for state superintendent of public institutions but lost the election to the incumbent woman.

Less than two years later, in August 1912, Robinson announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the Colorado State Senate. She won the primary and was elected to the senate in a Democratic landslide. She became the first woman elected to the Colorado State Senate. She was the second woman in the country to be elected to any state senate.

She became known as Mrs. Senator Robinson. “I am going to be the housewife of the senate,” she said. “I shall take it upon myself to look after the women and children. I shall feel honored to introduce any laws drawn up for their welfare and protection.” She claimed that the men in the senate treated her as one of them, with the exception that they removed their hats and cigars when speaking to her.

During her four years as a senator, Robinson sponsored and supported a wide variety of legislation aimed at improving the lives of women and children. Significantly, she sponsored a bill proposing a minimum wage for women. She stated that women who were not paid a living wage were often forced into prostitution. She believed that if society tolerated low wages, it shared the blame for the social ills that followed.

Robinson supported bills that allowed women to serve on juries. She advocated strengthening food-safety rules. She fought for a minimum wage for teachers, state support for education in rural and poor communities, and a minimum length for the school year. She introduced a bill that asked the state “consider the best interests of the child” for neglected children. She proposed a committee to investigate the state insane asylum and recommend modern treatments.

In 1914 Robinson was instrumental in helping to resolve the Ludlow Massacre. This was a coal miners’ strike in southern Colorado that had turned violent. Robinson led other Colorado women in camping at the State Capitol. They demanded that Governor Elias Ammons call in federal troops to stop the violence. Robinson visited the massacre site in support of the miners and their families.

Women’s Suffrage

In the 1910s, Colorado was one of several states that allowed women to vote. Suffragists in other states were still fighting for the right to vote. There was also a movement to add a women’s suffrage amendment to the US Constitution. “The best argument for woman suffrage,” Robinson said, “was the good old argument of democracy. Believe in democracy and you must believe in equal suffrage.”

Robinson was a highly sought-after speaker because she was the only female state senator in the United States in the mid-1910s. Her feminine manner, entertaining speaking style, and impassioned message helped to gain support for the suffrage cause. From 1913 to 1917, she traveled on speaking tours to other states. During one short tour she gave more than sixty speeches. She also served on panels and participated in debates across the country.

Robinson decided not to seek reelection to the state senate in 1916. She chose instead to work as a national and international leader for suffrage and peace. She continued to be an important spokesperson for suffrage. She traveled to other states, worked with suffrage groups, and advocated at both state and national levels. As more states allowed women to vote, women and men increasingly voted for representatives who supported suffrage at the national level. On August 26, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, granting female citizens the right to vote.

To educate female voters, Robinson wrote Preparing Women for Citizenship in 1918. She emphasized the need for women to rethink their role in society and to use their new right to advocate for human need rather than for profit.

Peace Movement and World War I

After the outbreak of World War I in Europe in 1914, Robinson became active in the peace movement. Robinson joined other peace advocates on a vessel called the Peace Ship financed by Henry Ford. The ship sailed for Europe in 1915 to encourage neutral nations to help negotiate an end to the fighting. The mission was unsuccessful, and in 1917 the United States entered the war. Robinson then devoted herself to the war cause. She served on the Colorado State Women’s Council of Defense. She traveled throughout Colorado to raise money for Liberty Bonds.

Later Years

In her later years, Robinson continued to publish articles and columns on social and feminist issues. She also represented the United States in international gatherings of women in Madrid and Geneva. These meetings addressed the needs of women worldwide, including the right to vote.

Robinson died on July 10, 1923, when she was about sixty-three. She lay in state in the Colorado State Capitol rotunda, with honor guards from the Denver Woman’s Press Club and the League of Women Voters. In 2014 she was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.

Helen Ring Robinson (c. 1860–1923) was the first woman elected to the Colorado State Senate in 1912. She was the second woman elected to any state senate in the nation. As a senator during the Progressive Era, she was an advocate for social reform. She supported legislation that helped women, children, working people, and the mentally ill. Robinson was a leader in the national effort for women’s voting rights. She traveled throughout the country giving speeches on women’s suffrage.

Early Life and Teaching Career

Helen Margaret Ring was born in Eastport, Maine, around 1860. She was the sixth of nine children. Her family moved to Providence, Rhode Island, where she graduated from high school around 1877.

She attended Wellesley College for one year where she trained to be a teacher. Helen Ring taught school in Ohio and New York. She moved to Colorado Springs in 1893 to teach at Colorado College. In 1895 she moved to Denver, where she taught English and history at Wolfe Hall, a private girls’ school. From 1898 to 1902, she worked at the Miss Wolcott School as the head of the high school academic department.

In 1902, when she was forty-two, Helen Ring married Ewing Robinson. She became a stepmother to his daughter, Alcyon, and they developed a close relationship. At the time, it was common for women to stop working when they married. She stopped teaching and devoted her time to writing, politics, and eventually public office.

Writing, Speeches and Women’s Clubs

After her marriage, Robinson became a well-known writer for local newspapers. She wrote book reviews and interviewed with prominent authors and politicians. She also wrote about social justice issues. She reported on political events, including the 1908 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Robinson became involved in women’s clubs which were popular across the country. These clubs provided a way for women to enrich their lives outside their homes. Women used their clubs to advocate for issues that they cared about. These included building libraries, orphanages, and homes for elderly women. They also advocated for child labor laws and voting rights for women.

Robinson’s most important club activity was the Denver Woman’s Press Club. The club’s membership included well-known women in Denver’s writing and political community. The club contributed to the success of Robinson’s political career. She served as president of the organization in 1909­–10. She served on committees and made presentations to the group. She became a speaker at conventions and clubs throughout Colorado. She was known as a feminine, maternal woman who spoke eloquently on the rights of women and children.

“Housewife of the Senate”

Robinson’s club friends encouraged her to enter politics. Colorado granted women the right to vote in 1893. Since then, women had been elected to the Colorado House of Representatives and to other statewide offices. In 1910 Robinson turned to politics. She ran for state superintendent of public institutions but lost the election to another woman.

Less than two years later, in 1912, Robinson announced she would run for the Democratic nomination for the Colorado State Senate. She won the primary and was elected to the senate in a Democratic landslide. She became the first woman elected to the Colorado State Senate. She was the second woman in the country to be elected to any state senate.

She became known as Mrs. Senator Robinson. “I am going to be the housewife of the senate,” she said. “I shall take it upon myself to look after the women and children. I shall feel honored to introduce any laws drawn up for their welfare and protection.” She claimed that the men in the senate treated her as one of them. The exception was that they removed their hats and cigars when speaking to her.

Robinson served four years as a senator. She sponsored and supported laws that improved the lives of women and children. Significantly, she sponsored a bill proposing a minimum wage for women. She stated that all women should be paid a living wage. She believed that if low wages were tolerated, the government shared the blame for the social problems that followed.

Robinson supported bills that allowed women to serve on juries. She advocated strengthening food-safety rules. She fought for education issues. These included minimum wage for teachers, state funding for education, and a minimum length for the school year. She asked the state “consider the best interests of the child” for neglected children. She proposed a committee to investigate the state insane asylum and recommended modern treatments.

In 1914 Robinson helped to resolve the Ludlow Massacre. This was a coal miners’ strike in southern Colorado that had turned violent. Robinson led other Colorado women in camping at the State Capitol. They demanded that Governor Elias Ammons call in federal troops to stop the violence. Robinson visited the massacre site in support of the miners and their families.

Women’s Suffrage

In the 1910s, Colorado was one of several states that allowed women to vote. Suffragists in most other states were still fighting for women’s right to vote. There was a movement to add a women’s suffrage amendment to the US Constitution. “The best argument for woman suffrage,” Robinson said, “was the good old argument of democracy. Believe in democracy and you must believe in equal suffrage.”

Robinson was a highly sought-after speaker because she was the only female state senator in the United States at the time. Her feminine manner, entertaining speaking style, and impassioned message helped to gain support for the suffrage cause. From 1913 to 1917, she went on speaking tours to other states. During one short tour she gave more than sixty speeches.

Robinson did not to seek reelection to the state senate in 1916. She chose instead to work as a leader for suffrage. She worked with suffrage groups at both the state and national levels. As more states allowed women to vote, women and men increasingly voted for representatives who supported suffrage. On August 26, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, granting female citizens the right to vote.

To educate female voters, Robinson wrote Preparing Women for Citizenship in 1918. She emphasized the need for women to rethink their role in society. She thought they should use their new voting rights to advocate for human need rather than for profit.

Peace Movement and World War I

After the outbreak of World War I in Europe in 1914, Robinson became active in the peace movement. Robinson joined peace advocates on the Peace Ship financed by Henry Ford. The ship sailed for Europe in 1915 to encourage neutral nations to negotiate an end to the fighting. The mission was unsuccessful and in 1917 the United States entered the war. Robinson then devoted herself to the war cause. She served on the Colorado State Women’s Council of Defense. She traveled throughout Colorado to raise money for Liberty Bonds.

Later Years

In her later years, Robinson published articles and columns on social and women’s issues. She represented the United States in international gatherings of women in Madrid and Geneva. These meetings addressed the needs of women worldwide, including the right to vote.

Robinson died on July 10, 1923, when she was about sixty-three. She lay in state in the Colorado State Capitol rotunda, with honor guards from the Denver Woman’s Press Club and the League of Women Voters. In 2014 she was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.

Helen Ring Robinson (c. 1860–1923) was the first woman elected to the Colorado State Senate in 1912. She was the second woman elected to any state senate in the nation. She supported laws that helped women, children and working people. Robinson was a leader in women getting the right to vote. This right is called women’s suffrage.

Early Life and Teaching Career

Helen Margaret Ring was born in 1860. She grew up in Eastport, Maine. She was the sixth of nine children. Her family moved to Providence, Rhode Island. She graduated from high school around 1877.

She attended Wellesley College for one year. She became a teacher. In 1893, she moved to Colorado Springs to teach at Colorado College. In 1895 she moved to Denver. From 1895 to 1902 she taught at private girls’ schools.

In 1902, when she was forty-two, Helen Ring married Ewing Robinson. She became a stepmother to his daughter, Alcyon. At the time, women stopped teaching when they married. She stopped working and devoted her time to writing and politics.

Writing, Speeches and Women’s Clubs

Robinson wrote for local newspapers. She wrote articles about books, authors and politicians. She also reported on political events. This included reporting on the 1908 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Women’s clubs were popular across the country. Robinson became involved in these clubs. The clubs enriched women’s lives outside their homes. Women used their clubs to work for issues that they cared about. These included building libraries, orphanages, and homes for elderly women. They also worked on child labor laws and voting rights for women.

Robinson’s most important club was the Denver Woman’s Press Club. This club included women in Denver’s writing and political community. She was president in 1909­–10. She served on committees and made presentations. She spoke at conventions and clubs. She was known as a feminine, motherly woman who spoke about the rights of women and children.

“Housewife of the Senate”

Robinson’s club friends asked her to enter politics. Colorado gave women the right to vote in 1893. Since then, women had been elected to the Colorado House of Representatives and to other offices.

In August 1912, Robinson decided to run for the Colorado State Senate. She was elected. She was the first woman elected to the Colorado State Senate. She was the second woman in the country to be elected to any state senate.

She was known as Mrs. Senator Robinson. “I am going to be the housewife of the senate,” she said. “I shall take it upon myself to look after the women and children.” She said that the men in the senate treated her as one of them. However, they did remove their hats and cigars when speaking to her.

Robinson served four years as a senator. She supported laws that improved the lives of women and children. Robinson thought women should serve on juries. She wanted safe food laws. She fought for education issues. These included minimum wage for teachers, funds for rural and poor schools, and a longer school year.

In 1914 Robinson helped miners during the Ludlow Massacre. This was a coal miners’ strike that had turned violent. Robinson and other women camped at the State Capitol. They wanted or Elias Ammons to send soldiers to stop the violence. Robinson visited the miners and their families.

Women’s Suffrage

In the 1910s, Colorado allowed women to vote. Suffragists in most other states were still fighting for women’s right to vote. “The best argument for woman suffrage,” Robinson said, “was the good old argument of democracy. Believe in democracy and you must believe in equal suffrage.”

From 1913 to 1917, Robinson went on speaking tours to other states. During one tour she gave more than sixty speeches. People wanted to hear Robinson speak. This was because she was the only female state senator in the United States at the time. She helped to gain support for the suffrage cause.

Robinson was a senator for four years. She did not run for senate again. She chose instead to work for suffrage. She worked with groups in different states and at the national level. On August 26, 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified. Women citizens in America now had the right to vote.

Robinson wrote a book, Preparing Women for Citizenship in 1918. It was a guide for how women could use their new right to vote.

Peace Movement and World War I

World War I started in Europe in 1914. Robinson was involved in the peace movement. Robinson joined peace advocates on the Peace Ship by Henry Ford. The ship sailed for Europe in 1915. They wanted to help end the fighting. They were unsuccessful.

In 1917 the United States entered the war. Robinson then devoted herself to helping with the war cause.

Later Years

In her later years, Robinson published articles newspapers and magazines. She represented the United States in gatherings of women in Europe. These meetings were about the needs of women worldwide, including the right to vote.

Robinson died on July 10, 1923, when she was sixty-three. She lay in state in the Colorado State Capitol. In 2014 she was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame.