The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote, a right known as women’s suffrage, and was ratified on August 18, 1920, ending almost a century of protest.
The legendary crusade for women's suffrage began in 1848 at a historic meeting in Seneca Falls, New York. Following the convention, the demand for the vote became a centerpiece of the women’s rights movement. Activists began raising public awareness and lobbied the government to grant voting rights to women. The lengthy battle culminated in 1920 when the country ratified the Susan B. Anthony Amendment.
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, the Experience Cortland staff will be releasing a blog series celebrating the achievements of Cortland County women throughout history. From an Army general to a women's rights advocate, to a charity executive and Television's first Better Crocker, "Iconic Cortland County Women: Celebrating the Centennial of the 19th Amendment" will showcase the area's rich women's history.
Did you know “America’s First Lady of Food” was a Cortland County native? Adelaide Hawley Cumming was the cheerful homemaker who mixed cake batter and sold pancake mix in the 1950s and early 60’s for General Mills. That’s right: she was one of the faces and voices of Betty Crocker!
Adelaide Hawley Cumming was born in Willet, New York in 1905. She studied piano and voice at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, and later joined two friends to form a vaudeville trio, Red, Black and Gold. She was working as the host of the “Adelaide Hawley Program", when General Mills snagged her in 1949 to be the first and only television version of Betty Crocker, a persona of the food company’s biggest brand. She hosted a half-hour “Betty Crocker Show” on CBS, as well as the “Betty Crocker Star Matinee” on ABC.
Ms. Cumming was once "the second most recognizable woman, next to Eleanor Roosevelt," said Jack Sheehan, a General Mills spokesman in Minneapolis.
Although there were many different women who personified Betty Crocker, Cumming stands out because she was the only woman to play a televised version of the character. During Cumming’s lengthy 15-year career as Betty Crocker, she was welcomed into people’s homes across America as she taught various recipes.
When her career as Betty Crocker ended in 1964, she attended New York University to work towards a degree in speech education. Cumming taught English for the remainder of her life, teaching her final class three days before her death. She died in 1998 in Bremerton, Washington. She was 93 years old.
Check back next month for the third blog of the series. I will be highlighting Homer native, Sarah E. Beard, an American medical researcher and colonel in the United States Air Force, who conducted research on decompression sickness
References:
1. “Adelaide Hawley Cumming, Betty Crocker.” Hawleysociety.org, www.hawleysociety.org/betty-crocker/.
2. Jenkins, Amanda. “‘America’s First Lady of Food’: Adelaide Hawley as Betty Crocker.” Now See Here!, Library of Congress, 2019, blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2019/03/americas-first-lady-of-food-adelaide-hawley-as-betty-crocker/.
3. Press, The Associated. “Adelaide Hawley Cumming, 93, Television's First Betty Crocker.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1998, www.nytimes.com/1998/12/25/arts/adelaide-hawley-cumming-93-television-s-first-betty-crocker.html.
4. Wikipedia contributors. "Adelaide Hawley Cumming." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 2 May. 2020. Web. 8 Jun. 2020.
Interested in Cortland County history? Check out the websites of our local museums to unearth some some delightful historic treasures!