At the State convention held Nov. 20, 1912, in Wilmington, addresses were made by Mrs. Harriet Taylor Upton, State president of Ohio, and Miss Harriet May Mills State president of New York; and on the subject Why Delaware Needs a College for Women by Mrs. Emalea P. Warner and Dr. Hayward. It was decided to have a bill presented to the Legislature of 1913 for striking the word "male" from the constitution of the State. A branch club had been formed at the Arden Single Tax Colony. The State association had held 22 meetings.
On Jan. 4, 1913, a delegation from the Wilmington club was granted a hearing before the Charter Commission and asked for a clause in the proposed new city charter giving Municipal suffrage to women. Nine of the ten commissioners were present and arguments were presented by Miss Worrell, Mrs. Margaret H. Kent, Mrs. Cranston, Arthur R. Spaid, county superintendent of schools; George B. Miller, president of the board of education; Miss Grace B. Tounsend and Miss de Vou. This was refused and the charter was defeated by an overwhelming majority with no suffrage clause to handicap it. In February the club held a large public meeting at the New Century Club with the Rev. Dr. George Edward Reed, former president of Dickinson College, as the speaker. The club organized a municipal section to study the work of the city boards and to offer assistance in forwarding civic improvement, which was addressed by the Mayor and heads of departments. The State association was represented in the great suffrage parade in New York City on May 4 by Mrs. J. R. Milligan and Miss Tounsend.
At the State convention in Wilmington Nov. 6, 1913, fraternal delegates were present from the W. C. T. U., Consumers' League and Juvenile Court Association. Addresses were made by Irving Warner, Mrs. Mary Ware Dennett, corresponding secretary of the National Association, and Miss Mabel Vernon, of the Congressional Union. The music was generously furnished as usual by the treasurer, Miss Lore. There were now 174 dues-paying members and 560 registered sympathizers; 12 executive sessions had been held and 35 meetings, 18 outdoors, and 10,000 fliers and leaflets distributed. On February 18-20, the association was sponsor for "General" Rosalie Jones and her Pilgrim Band en route from New York to Washington, D. C. Mayor Howell of Wilmington welcomed them in the City Hall and they were guests at the Garrick Theater, where they spoke between acts to an overcrowded house. The State association was well represented in the famous parade in Washington, D. C., on March 3, and again on April 7 when 531 women from various States marched to the Capitol bearing special messages to members of Congress, urging their support of the Federal Amendment. A tent was established at the State Fair in September, realizing a long cherished desire of the president, with Miss Ella W. Johnson in charge. The two organizations joined forces and opened headquarters in Wilmington, from which petitions to Congress were circulated and much literature sent out.
The annual convention was held Oct. 30, 1914, at Dover, the State capital but with no suffrage club. Secretary of State James H. Hughes welcomed the convention for vice-Mayor McGee, who refused to do so. The speakers were Mrs. Helen Hoy Greeley of New York, Samuel H. Derby of Kent county and Mrs. Florence Bayard Hilles, Delaware chairman of the Congressional Union. In Wilmington a meeting was held February 15 in honor of Miss Anthony's birthday, with Miss Anna Maxwell Jones of New York as the speaker. In April on Arbor Day a "suffrage oak" was planted, Mayor Howell presiding. In May a successful parade, the first, was given in Wilmington with Mrs. Hilles in command. In September both political State conventions were asked to endorse woman suffrage but refused. Two rooms were furnished by and named in honor of the State association, one at the Industrial School for Girls in Claymont and one at the College for Women in Newark. It again had a tent at the State Fair; prizes were given in the schools for the best essays on woman suffrage; Lucy Stone's birthday was honored in August 13; members were enrolled by the hundreds and fifteen executive meetings were held. The City Council's invitation was accepted to march in the Old Home Week parade.
The convention for 1915 took place on November 11, in Wilmington, with speakers, Dr. Shaw, Miss Worrell on Elizabeth Cady Stanton's 100th Birthday; Miss Ethel Smith of Washington, D. C., on National Work. Mrs. Cranston, "the Susan B. Anthony of Delaware," the association's first and only president since January, 1896, retired and was made honorary president. Mrs. Mary Clare Brassington was elected her successor. This year connection was severed with the Congressional Union, which unexpectedly announced its purpose of forming another State society, while the old association continued its affiliation with the National American. Three mass meetings were held with Miss Janet Richards, Mrs. Beatrice Forbes Robertson Hale and Mrs. Bayard Hilles the speakers. The association was represented in May in the parade of the Woman Suffrage Party in Philadelphia, under the auspices of the National Association.
The annual convention met Nov. 10, 1916, in Wilmington, with Chas. A. Wagner, State Commissioner of Education; Chas. W. Bush and Dr. Shaw as speakers. Mrs. Brassington had been appointed to take part in the suffrage demonstrations at the Republican and Democratic national conventions in Chicago and St. Louis. The State Central Committees were again petitioned in vain for an endorsement of woman suffrage.
At the State convention held in Newport, Nov. 22, 1917, a $500 pledge was made to the National Association. A telegram of congratulation had been sent to Governor John G. Townsend, Jr., upon the declaration for woman suffrage in his inaugural address. Miss Lola Trax, a national organizer, was in the State five weeks, forming centers, and many meetings were held. Federal Amendment Day was observed by tableaux on the Court House steps in Wilmington, with Mrs. Florence Updegraff, national organizer, and Miss Ospina, local congressional chairman, in charge, Mrs. Brassington presiding, to whom a farewell luncheon was given, as she was removing from the State. She was succeeded by Miss Agnes Y. Downey, first vice-president.
The annual convention in Wilmington Nov. 29, 1918, was addressed by Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, president and Mrs. Halsey W. Wilson, recording secretary of the National Association. Mrs. Albert Robin was elected president. In May a congressional petition campaign was launched at a large subscription luncheon given in Hotel DuPont, Wilmington, with Mrs. Catt, Mrs. Frank Vanderlip, Mrs. Maud Wood Park and Mrs. J. Borden Harriman guests of honor and speakers. Mrs. J. Frank Ball, State vice-president, presided. Miss Mabel Willard, acting for the National Association, conducted the petition "drive" and secured 175 volunteer workers, who enrolled 11,118 names to influence the votes of Delaware's U. S. Senators on the Federal Amendment. Mrs. Robin being absent from the State, Mrs. Ball became acting president. A conference with U. S. Senator Josiah O. Wolcott was held at her home in June, a large number of prominent persons being present, at which the Senator declared himself open to conviction. Mrs. Halsey Wilson gave a week in September to work in the State. An active educational campaign was carried on until the November elections and suffrage literature was distributed at the polls.
The State convention took place in November, 1919, at Dover, with Mrs. Raymond Brown, national vice-president, as the principal speaker. A memorial address for Dr. Anna Howard Shaw was presented by Mrs. Cranston. At the reception given in the State House by Governor Townsend and Secretary of State Everett C. Johnson the Governor said in his welcome: "I feel more than ever since the war that women should have the ballot. I will be glad at any time to use my influence toward giving those of Delaware the right of suffrage." A luncheon followed at the Hotel Richardson, attended by the Governor, Secretary of State and other officials. All of the legislators were invited. The guests were welcomed by Mrs. Roswell P. Hammond, president of the Dover society, and James H. Hughes. Mrs. Robin, who presided, spoke of ratification as the one goal of their efforts and Secretary Johnson endorsed it. The Opera House was crowded in the evening to hear the address of Mrs. Brown.
Reports showed that in January the National Association sent an organizer, Mrs. Maria McMahon, and with the financial assistance of the Wilmington society she opened headquarters in Dover, organized a number of towns and won many friends for the cause. Later Mrs. Halsey Wilson gave another week to the State. About 600 telegrams were sent in February to the Delaware Senators urging them to vote for the submission of the Federal Suffrage Amendment but Senator Wolcott and Senator Willard Saulsbury both voted "no" on February 10, when it went to defeat. In May Mrs. Robin circularized the Delaware representatives in Congress and on the 21st, when the amendment was passed by the Lower House, Caleb R. Layton, Delaware's one member, voted "aye." In the Senate, the newly elected Senator, L. Heisler Ball, was paired in favor, Senator Wolcott again voting "no." At a meeting of the State Board a resolution was passed rejoicing over the success and calling for a special session of the Legislature to ratify the amendment. A Ratification Committee was appointed with Mrs. Robin chairman for Wilmington and the State; Mrs. Cranston for rural New Castle county; Mrs. Henry Ridgely for Kent county; Mrs. Robert G. Houston for Sussex county; Miss Leah Burton, legislative chairman; Miss deVou, press chairman and Mrs. Brassington chairman of literature. Mrs. Ridgely of Dover was elected president and activities for the campaign were soon centralized.