Wittmayer to discuss newspaper coverage of suffrage

September 11, 2020

There is a powerful history behind the passage of the 19th Amendment, chronicled in newspaper coverage of the movement.

Cecelia Wittmayer, former vice president for Academic Affairs at Dakota State University, will be speaking about this at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15 in DSU’s Habeger Science Center auditorium. Guests may attend in person; in addition the event will be both live streamed and recorded at https://youtu.be/aml69apRavA. (Social distancing and face coverings are required.)

This event is part of DSU's celebration of the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment, planned in conjunction with the Committee for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), and the Madison branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

In addition to educating about past struggles for equality, Dr. Haley Larson said, “events like this encourage continued dialogue and work toward equality for all women, transgender, and gender non-conforming folks.” She is assistant professor of English for New Media at DSU.

Dr. Jack Walters, member of both the EDI committee and AAUW, said “understanding the long battle for women’s right to vote in the U.S. reminds us that other aspects of equality among genders are not complete.”

He stated, “No specific part of our Constitution guarantees equal treatment of women. Women are not treated equally on a number economic and opportunity issues. Understanding the century of work and risk and sacrifice that were needed to get the vote for all women should inspire us to go further to bring true equality to our nation.” Walters is professor of management, and coordinator of the Master of Business Administration program.

Wittmayer was hired as an assistant professor of marketing at DSU in Fall 1986, and in1999 was named vice president for Academic Affairs. She retired from DSU in 2013. Her presentation is based on research from her master’s thesis, “Newspaper Coverage of the Women’s Suffrage Movement in South Dakota at the Time of Statehood.”