Downtown Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Joseph Hanover
— 1888 - 1984 —
Hanover's zealous support for ratification impressed national suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt. The second youngest member of the House, he became the floor leader and attended strategy sessions at The Hermitage Hotel. He worked so tirelessly that he lost 20 pounds, and his work was so effective that he became the target of anti-suffrage plots. Governor A. H. Roberts appointed a special bodyguard to protect him.
Hanover was the real hero of the suffrage fight in the House, because he kept the pro-suffrage votes together despite the onslaught of opposition from the railroads, the manufacturers, and the liquor lobbyists. He was influenced by his parents love of freedom and gratitude for the U.S. after fleeing Poland. He studied the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. After his parents obtained citizenship, his mother, unlike his father, was unable to vote. "Why can't Mother vote?" he asked. This led to his unwavering support of helping women win the right to vote.
He spent more than 30 years as a Memphis attorney, civic leader and humanitarian, and he was especially proud that as an immigrant and a Jewish-American he was able to contribute significantly to the victorious fight for woman suffrage. According to his family, President Woodrow Wilson called him the day after the vote to congratulate him on his success.
Erected 2022 by Memphis Suffrage Monument Committee.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Civil Rights • Immigration. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.
Location. 35° 8.736′ N, 90° 3.309′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in Downtown Memphis. Located on a terrace behind the The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 N Front St, Memphis TN 38103, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Maxine Atkins Smith (here, next to this marker); Dorothy "Happy" Snowden Jones (here, next to this marker); Charl Ormond Williams (here, next to this marker); Frances Grant Loring (a few steps from this marker); Minerva J. Johnican (a few steps from this marker); Equality Trailblazers (a few steps from this marker); Lide Smith Meriwether (a few steps from this marker); Lulu Colyar Reese (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Joseph Hanover Biography and photo. (Submitted on August 26, 2022, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.)
2. Joseph Hanover: Find a Grave. (Submitted on August 26, 2022, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.)
3. The Eastern European Jewish immigrant who saved suffrage. (Submitted on August 26, 2022, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2022, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 374 times since then and 94 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 26, 2022, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.