Cynthia May Westover Alden.
Mrs. Cynthia May Westover Alden is an example of the possibilities of journalism as a vocation for women. She was born at Afton, Iowa, May 31, 1862, being the daughter of Oliver S. and Lucilda (Lewis) Westover. After a period spent in local common schools, she graduated from the Colorado state university and the Denver business college. Subsequently she taught geology, book-keeping and vocal and instrumental music. The owner of an excellent voice, she was for some years a soprano soloist in several church choirs in New York. In 1887 she was appointed United States inspector of customs at the port of New York, and during her term of service as such made many important seizures. She was also secretary in a municipal department of New York, and for a time was an employee of the New York state museum of natural history, resigning therefrom to engage in journalism. After editing the woman’s department of the New York Recorder, she took charge of a similar department on the New York Tribune. She is now on the editorial staff of the Ladies’ Home Journal. Mrs. Alden is also the founder and president-general of the International Sunshine society. Her life has been as busy as useful, and she has made for herself a large circle of friends who, though not knowing her personally, are nevertheless acquainted with her through the medium of the kindly and helpful journalism with which she is so generally identified.