Congressman Tom MacArthur recently announced that he had introduced H.R. 4204, the Alice Paul Congressional Gold Medal Act, to posthumously award a Congressional gold medal to Alice Paul, in recognition of her role in the women’s suffrage movement and in advancing equal rights for women.
Paul was born on Jan., 11, 1885, in Mt. Laurel, and died on July 9, 1977.
Paul dedicated her life to securing suffrage and equal rights for all women and, as founder of the National Woman’s Party, she was instrumental in the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.
“Few residents of South Jersey have had a greater impact on American history than Alice Paul,” MacArthur said. “Alice Paul’s tireless dedication and courage paved the way for future generations guaranteeing all American women the right to vote. Alice Paul is an example to all Americans of what one individual can do to make a difference for millions of people. I am proud to recognize her tireless efforts to give a voice to women in our democracy and abroad.”
“On behalf of Sewall-Belmont, I’m very proud that this legislation has been introduced to honor a true American hero,” said Page Harrington, executive director of Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, is a historic house and museum of the U.S. women’s suffrage and equal rights movements located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
“Too often women’s history is forgotten, and the women who contributed to further perfecting our democracy are left out of the history books,” Harrington said. “I believe this Congressional Medal will help us to elevate the status of Alice Paul, the National Woman’s Party, and the tireless work of so many women who contributed to women’s suffrage and equal rights progress, returning her memory and that of others back into the public conversation.”
Lucienne Beard, executive director of the Alice Paul Institute based at Paul’s birthplace in New Jersey, remarked, “HR 4204, the Alice Paul Congressional Gold Medal Act, is a fitting tribute to Alice Paul’s lifelong work for legal equality for all Americans. She is truly a champion of the rights expressed in our Constitution.”
