Emma Barrett Molloy

Emma Barrett Molloy (17 July 1839 – 14 May 1907) was an American journalist, lecturer, and temperance activist from Indiana. She was the first female newspaper editor in northern Indiana and traveled the United States and abroad as a prohibition activist.^[1] She became the editor of several Indiana newspapers along with her second husband Edward Molloy, as well as writing for two of the top Women's Suffrage journals.^[2]

Molloy's first husband was Louis A. Pradt, whose alcoholism lead to their divorce. She then married Edward Molloy and began being an editor of their multiple newspapers. During this time, Molloy became a major activist for prohibition and the temperance movement, and she began to do traveling lectures, leading her to travel to London.^[2]

After divorcing Edward in 1882, Molloy moved west, first to Kansas and Oklahoma then later to Washington and California.^[1] She continued her activism and joined the Methodist church, which supported prohibition efforts.^[2]

Early life

She was born on July 17, 1839 to William Lovell Barrett and Harriet Newton Barrett in South Bend, Indiana. The family was very active in the First Methodist Episcopal Church of South Bend.^[1] Barrett (Molloy) was a schoolteacher in her teens.^[2]

Marriage and Family

In 1858, Molloy married Louis Pradt at the age of eighteen, and they moved to Sheboygan, Wisconsin. They had two children together, Lottie and Allie. Nine years later, Molloy divorced Pradt through Wisconsin's divorced laws due to his "habitual drunkenness".^[1]

In November 1867, Molloy married Edward Molloy, the editor of the National Union in South Bend. Together, they edited and wrote for the paper.^[1] They had one son, Franklin, and one daughter, Etta, together, and adopted another daughter, Cora Lee.^[3] The couple sold the National Union and moved briefly to Cortland, New York in 1872, before returning to Indiana the same year, this time to Elkhart.^[2][1] They divorced in 1882.

In 1889, Molloy married her cousin, Morris Barrett, a retired printer. They remained married until his death.^[2]

Journalism

Molloy's second marriage led her into the journalism community of Indiana, though she had early interest in the field, writing articles in local newspapers as a teenager^[1][3]. Martha M. Pickrell states that Molloy used her writing to promote "the advancement and self-respect of women".^[1] Molloy entered the world of journalism by editing the National Union in South Bend alongside her husband. Molloy edited and wrote for three Indiana newspapers in addition to publishing her work on other papers and journals.^[2] These Indiana papers were The National Union -- until 1871 --, The Observer (Elkhart) -- from 1872 until 1876 --, and the Herald-Chronical (LaPorte) -- from 1880 until 1882.^[2] She also edited The Morning and Day Review in Elgin, Illinois, having moved there after divorcing Edward Molloy in 1882.^[2] Molloy used her journalism to write and spread awareness on issues important to her. This included prohibition, women's rights to an education and to divorce their husband, prison reform, half-way houses, and the promotion of women working outside the home.^[2][1]

The Temperance Movement

Molloy's experiences with her first husband's alcoholism as well as her connection to the Methodist Church led to her take action against alcohol and lead to her rise as one of the most prominent temperance activists in the United States.^[2] The 1870s saw a rise in saloons and prostitution in the Elkhart area which prompted Molloy to public address temperance.^[1]

Molloy delivered many lectures for the temperance movement, traveling across the midwest and to London, England for Temperance conferences from 1876-1878.^[2] This also lead to Molloy speaking at numerous Women's Suffrage conventions.^[1]

Molloy was a member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, which formed out of the growing Women's Crusade movement in the midwest.^[1] The leader the WCTU, Frances E. Willard, called Molloy "a much better speaker than any woman now before the public as a temperance lecturer."^[1]

Women's Suffrage

Molloy was a long supporter of women's rights, having written on the matter as a young adult and through her own published articles.^[1] Throughout her life, Molloy's activism did not have a strong focus on Women's Suffrage, but the movement overlapped with the Temperance movement and she did not shy away from voicing her support for the suffragists. Molloy's notability in the temperance movement, as well as her role as a female journalist, allowed for her to speak at suffrage conventions.^[1]

She wrote articles for two Women's Suffrage papers The Women's Journal and The Revolution, which was edited by well-known Suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.^[2] In addition to writing for these suffrage journals, Molloy reprinted their top articles and editorials in her own newspapers.^[1]

Going West

After Molloy divorced Edward Molly, she became more involved in lecturing on temperance and moved west. It is during this time that Molloy became more involved with the Methodist Church and began an unprofessional career as an evangelist preacher.^[1]

Later years

Molloy continued her work with prohibition, the WCTU, and the Methodist Church through the rest of her life. She became an evangelical preacher, continuing to spread her ideas on prohibition.^[1]

Molloy's third husband, Morris Barrett, preceded her in death.

In 1907, while living and preaching in California, Molloy contracted pneumonia and died.^[2] She became ill after being in bad weather for too long as her coach broke down. Despite feeling ill, Molloy delivered her sermon as planned. She then fell into a coma and died a few days later.^[1]

References