Susan B. Anthony

(1820–1906)

Pioneer of the women's suffrage movement. Co-founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association. Her decades of organizing helped lay the groundwork for the 19th Amendment (1920), ratified 14 years after her death. One of the most consequential figures in American democratic history.

Connection

Susan and Dennis Johnson's Susan was named for her — a proud family tradition. She notes, with admirable candor, that she never actually met her.

This entry is offered in the spirit in which it was submitted: with affection, a sense of family inheritance, and a completely straight face.

Why Herbert Would Be Delighted

The chain from Susan B. Anthony to the Johnsons to Herbert is perhaps the longest in this vault in terms of years — but the spirit of women's dignity and equal standing that Anthony embodied is one Herbert has championed throughout his ministry. Sometimes a connection is less about proximity and more about who a person chose to be named for.