Cynthia May Westover Alden

Born in Afton, Iowa, in 1862, Cynthia May Westover Alden built a varied career as a journalist, author, inventor, and public worker. She wrote for newspapers and magazines, and her work connected her with a wide readership at a time when print culture was expanding quickly.

She became best known as the founder of the International Sunshine Society, a movement that encouraged small acts of kindness, visiting, reading, and letter-writing to people who were lonely, ill, or shut in. The organization grew widely and reflected her belief that cheerful, practical service could make everyday life better.

Later in life, much of her energy went toward the welfare of blind infants and children. She died in Brooklyn, New York, in 1931, leaving behind a career that blended writing, civic work, and hands-on social reform.