Anna Garlin Spencer

Born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, on April 17, 1851, and raised largely in Providence, Rhode Island, she became an educator, writer, feminist, and Unitarian minister. In 1891 she was ordained in Rhode Island, becoming the first woman ordained as a minister in that state, and she later led Bell Street Chapel in Providence.

She was active in the woman suffrage and peace movements and wrote widely on ethics, religion, education, and social reform. Her work often focused on how family life, democracy, and women’s changing roles shaped modern society.

After years in ministry and public speaking, she became known as a thoughtful voice in progressive reform circles. She died on February 12, 1931, leaving behind a body of work that connected faith, civic responsibility, and the everyday realities of social change.