Rebecca Shelley

Overview

Rebecca Shelley born Sugar Valley, PA January 20, 1887 (d. 1994). Absolute pacifist, militant suffragist, and peace activist. Green Party leader. Teacher of German. Leading woman lobbyist in opposition to World War I; sailed on Ford’s peace ship, 1915. Attended International Women’s Conference that led to formation of WILPF, the Hague, 1915. Organized mother’s marches and draft resistance, 1917. Co-founded anti-war People's Council of America, 1917. Picketed Pentagon against Vietnam War, 1965; wore black until all troops were out of Vietnam. Founded 230-acre PeaceWays farm to "promote World Peace and the practice of Universal Human Brotherhood. . . to build a world community free from ignorance, poverty and war," Battle Creek, MI, 1959. Vice-presidential candidate on pacifist write-in ticket, 1964.

Quotations

Can we discern through crumbled empires' dust,
Whose holy wars were right, whose causes just?

(her poem; photo wikimedia)