Harriette Merrick Plunkett | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Portrait photo from A Woman of the Century | |
| Born | Harriette Merrick Hodge February 6, 1826 Hadley, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | December 26, 1906 |
| Other names | Mrs. H. M. Plunkett |
| Alma mater | Hopkins Academy |
| Occupation(s) | President, House of Mercy |
| Notable work | Women, Plumbers, and Doctors |
| Spouse |
Thomas Fitzpatrick Plunkett
(m. 1847; died 1875) |
| Relatives | |
Harriette Merrick Plunkett (née, Hodge; pen name, Mrs. H. M. Plunkett; 1826–1906) was a pioneer in the work of sanitary reform in the United States and a leader among women in literary and benevolent work. She served as president of the House of Mercy corporation (now, Berkshire Medical Center), for 30 years, was a leader in the establishment of the Massachusetts State Board of Health, and the author of numerous books.[1][2][3][4]
Her great interest in sanitary matters did not develop until after she married Thomas F. Plunkett, who in 1869, had a very important role in the establishment of the Massachusetts State Board of Health, the first state board established in the U.S. Mrs. Plunkett became convinced that if the women of the country would inform themselves what sanitary reform was needed in housing and living, and see that it was put in practice, there would be a great saving and lengthening of lives. To promote that cause, she wrote many newspaper articles, and in 1885, published a valuable book, Women, Plumbers, and Doctors, containing practical directions for securing a healthful home. Though interrupted in her work by the necessity of helping her son, who had become totally blind, she at once resumed her writing and returned to subjects of sanitation, though at the same time producing other articles, educational, aesthetic, and political, for various magazines and journals.[3]
Her great interest in the prevention and healing of diseases also brought her before the public, and she was probably most widely known in connection with the establishment and growth of a cottage hospital in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, called the House of Mercy, started in 1874, and of which she was the president. It was the first one of its class to be supported by contributions from all religious denominations in the country.[3]
- ^ Willard, Frances Elizabeth; Livermore, Mary Ashton Rice (1893). "PLUNKETT, Mrs. Harriette M.". A Woman of the Century: Fourteen Hundred-seventy Biographical Sketches Accompanied by Portraits of Leading American Women in All Walks of Life. Charles Wells Moulton. pp. 576–77.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "Famous Author Dead at Pittsfield Home". The Daily Item. Lynn, Massachusetts. 27 December 1906. p. 5. Retrieved 27 February 2024 – via Newspapers.com. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c Logan, Mrs. John A. (1912). "HARRIETTE M. PLUNKETT". The Part Taken by Women in American History. Wilmington, Del.: The Perry-Nalle Publishing Co. p. 902. Retrieved 27 February 2024 – via Wikisource. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Hodge1900was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
