Bossie O'Brien Hundley

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Hundley in 1915

Bossie O'Brien Hundley Baer, sometimes called Bessie, was a leading lobbyist for women's suffrage in Birmingham.

Bossie was the daughter of opera house-owner, Jefferson County Sheriff and Mayor of Birmingham Frank P. O'Brien. In 1886 the Birmingham Fire Department's newest steam engine was nicknamed the Bossie O'Brien in her honor.

She married State legislator and District Court Judge Oscar Hundley on June 24, 1897.

Hundley joined the Birmingham Equal Suffrage Association soon after it was formed in 1911 and quickly rose to a position of leadership in the group. She became president of the Birmingham Chapter and then legislative chair of the statewide association. In 1914 she organized a petition drive which collected over 10,000 signatures calling for a referendum on women's voting rights. She and fellow suffragist, Mrs A. J. Bowron, drove across the state on a publicity tour in her Hudson Six. She debated Congressman Tom Heflin in front of a crowd of thousands in Wetumpka. Despite her efforts, the legislature ignored the AESA's demand for a referendum.

In 1915 she served as associate editor for The Birmingham Magazine, published by the Business Men's League. With her husband, she attended the 1916 Republican National Convention in Chicago. Her party affiliation and membership in the Catholic faith were two strikes against her campaign for the presidency of the AESA in 1916. She lost to Carrie Parke of Selma.

Hundley was also active in music organizations. She was an active member of the Music Study Club in Birmingham and served as president of the Alabama Federation of Music Clubs and as corresponding secretary and director for the National Federation.

Oscar Hundley died in 1921 after a long decline. Bossie O'Brien Hundley later married a Mr Baer.

References

  • Gallitz, Shenandoah (2005) "Bossie O'Brien Hundley and the Alabama Equal Suffrage Association's Campaign for Women's Suffrage, 1914-1915".