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"Frieda's Cottage" at Chestnut Lodge calls to mind the life and
career of its namesake, Dr. Frieda Fromm-Reichmann, and also stands
as an emblem of a generation of women who lived and worked in
Rockville and contributed in varying ways to its character,
identity, and transformation from a small town to a modern suburban
city.
Psychiatrist Frieda Fromm-Reichmann (1889-1957) fled Germany in the
1930s and, in partnership with Dr. Dexter Bullard, transformed
Chestnut Lodge into a renowned institution whose pioneering
specialty was psychotherapy for psychotic patients. Frieda made her
home in a cottage built for her on the hospital grounds. Anne
Wilson Bullard (1900-1996), wife of Dr. Bullard, served as Chestnut
Lodge administrator from 1931 to 1967 and treasurer of its research
institute until 1995. Active in philanthropic organizations, Mrs.
Bullard was the first woman to serve as foreman of a Montgomery
County Grand Jury.
Washington socialite Irene Moore Smith Lyon (1882-1950) is
remembered for enlarging the Bowie Estate, today Glenview Mansion.
Irene and her third husband, Dr. James A. Lyon, used Glenview as
their year-round residence and hosted garden parties at the stylish
Colonial Revival mansion, which the City purchased in 1957. The
spirit of the 1920s Estate Era lives on in a bucolic setting.
Rose
Kiger Dawson (1896-1979) was born and raised in South Dakota, where
she rode horses on the open prairie and resisted all forms of
feminine domestication. When her family moved to Rockville in 1911,
Rose adapted to life in a small town on her own terms and was one of
the first local women to drive a car. In 1939, she was appointed
Montgomery County Supervisor of Elections, a post she held for over
30 years. Honest and efficient, Rose Dawson was considered a model
of bipartisanship, with both political parties regularly
recommending her reappointment.
Rockville women played a leadership role in the struggle for civil
rights. Educator Rosalie Mapson Campbell (1907-2004), a lifelong
resident of the Haiti community, earned Bachelor's and Master's
degrees, a notable achievement in the era of segregation. Nina
Honemond Clarke enjoys the distinction of being the first black
principal in Montgomery County and is the author of histories on
black schools and churches. New Yorker Florence Orbach settled in
Twinbrook in the 1950s and joined the NAACP, where she teamed with
Mary Williams Betters to reform City and County public
accommodations laws. They organized demonstrations, testified at
hearings, and published a list of establishments that practiced
discrimination - all aimed at advancing the cause of social
justice.
Other
Rockville women distinguished themselves in law and politics.
Attorney Vivian Simpson (1903-1987) was Montgomery County's first
woman attorney and Maryland's first woman Secretary of State. Viola
Hovsepian was elected to the City Council in 1982 and subsequently
appointed Mayor to fill an unexpired term. More recently, Rose
Krasnow was elected to 3 terms as Mayor, serving from 1995 to 2001.
Combining civic activism and traditional homemaking, Margaret "Peg"
Sante (1930-2002) is fondly called a "community treasure." The
mother of 4 daughters, Peg taught nursery school for 2 decades and
was a leader in cultural institutions. She led a campaign to have
St. Mary's Chapel declared historic, raised funds to renovate the
Grand Courtroom in the Red Brick Courthouse and, with her husband
Pete, restored their 1890 house on Beall Avenue. In 2003, the City
dedicated Peg Sante Park in her memory.
These
and countless other women of Rockville helped define a remarkable
era in local history, meeting the challenges of modern life,
advocating civic improvement, distinguishing themselves in their
respective professions, and actively shaping the life of the
community.
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