Honors

Virginia Minor

National

August 21, 2021 – Virginia was honored by the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA) as a “Valiant Woman of the Vote.” This was originally supposed to take place on March 28, 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021 – Virginia was nominated for the National Women’s Hall of Fame, but not chosen as an inductee. Will try again for the cohort of 2025.

TBD – An application has been submitted to honor her with a U.S. Postage stamp. The only way we will know if it was accepted is upon issuance of the stamp, which could take up to three years or never happen at all.

State of Missouri

September 10, 2013
Virginia’s was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians in Jefferson City, Missouri.

January 21, 1931
The Missouri League of Women Voters unveiled a Woman Suffrage Pioneers Memorial Tablet dedicated to fifty-five women, including Virginia, who helped make female suffrage possible in the state. The tablet still hangs in the Capitol Building in Jefferson City.

May 1, 1930
National League of Women Voters creates a National Roll of Honor to recognize pioneers of the women’s suffrage movement as part of the ten-year anniversary of women’s suffrage. Virginia is not part of the national honors but is one of 29 women honored on a separate tablet recognizing those who made a significant contribution to the state of Missouri.

St. Louis

October 15, 2022
As part of the National Votes for Women Trail, a memorial plaque honoring Virginia was placed at her former home at 2654 Olive.

March 2020-June 2022
Virginia is featured in an exhibit at the Missouri History Museum called “Beyond the Ballot.” Virginia is featured in a large panel depicting her life and career and is one of only a handful of women chosen to have her own section in the exhibit. She is also one of fifty women included in the companion guidebook and information about her was included on the exhibit website.

November 3, 2020
The first Election Day in which St. Louis voters were invited to visit the Minors and leave their “I Voted” stickers on poster board that was part of a special temporary memorial erected at Virginia’s grave. About 50 people attended, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 15, 2020
The American Association of University Women held a wreath laying ceremony at Virginia’s grave at Bellefontaine Cemetery. The event included an introduction to Virginia’s life, a performance by historical re-enactor Anne Williams, and the wreath laying.

Fall 2022
A plaque on the National Votes for Women Trail marking Virginia and Francis’ former home at 2652 Olive will be installed.

Ongoing
The St. Louis chapter of the League of Women Voters is currently working to raise money for a new memorial to Virginia Minor at her grave in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis.

Cynthia Holmes, Missouri’s state coordinator for the National Votes for Women Trail, is working with The William G. Pomeroy Foundation to award a Historic Marker to Virginia Minor at 2652 Olive, the site of her home from 1871-1882.

Francis Minor

National Organization

Isabella Beecher Hooker proposed in May 1892 “to have a new national organization called the Francis Minor Federal Suffrage Association. Through Francis’ name was omitted, the Federal Suffrage Association was founded and inspired by Francis’ article “Citizenship and Suffrage” that appeared in the Arena.

Legislation
Wyoming Republican Clarence Clark presented An Act To Protect The Right Of Citizens Of The United States To Register And To Vote For Members Of The House Of Representatives, a federal suffrage bill Francis authored, to the U.S. House of Representatives on April 25, 1892 , just three months after his death. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it eventually died.

Praise After Death

Susan B. Anthony: “No man has contributed to the woman suffrage movement so much valuable constitutional argument and proof as Mr. Minor…We have lost, this side, a friend at all times and in all places; we should be grateful that he lived—lived so well and did so much.”
The Women’s Tribune called his writing “State documents for the woman suffrage movement” and named him a “champion…who devoted his life and talents to the establishing of the rights of women.”
Hon. A.G. Riddle on behalf of the National American Woman Suffrage association: “As suffragists we esteem and honor men for the services rendered by them in the cause we are convened to advance, and we recognize Francis Minor, late of Missouri, as holding a high place with the ablest and most valued men and women who have advocated it.” Riddle also admitted Francis was “a braver man than I” for arguing his case before the Supreme Court.
Minor Meriwether (Francis’ nephew): “The wish to see Woman Suffrage firmly established was the most earnest of his life—all else was secondary.”