From collection Candidates
Emma Perkins was elected to the Cleveland, Ohio school board by 1912. She had a strong professional reputation as a teacher of Latin at Western Reserve University. She spoke at the Cleveland Woman's Club and for many years attended meetings of the American Philological Association. As a member of the school board, Perkins was also active in the state suffrage campaigns, speaking before the state legislature. Other members of her family were also activists. Perkins' mother, Mrs. Sarah M. Clinton Perkins was a temperance activist and editor. Her sister-in-law, Frances Pearson, served as a precinct captain during the 1912 Ohio suffrage campaign. Perkin's niece, librarian Mary K. Pearson was an Ohio suffrage activist as well, proudly noting her aunt's accomplishments.
