Born in Buffalo and raised in Dunkirk, it may have been Ms. Davis' father who laid the groundwork for her emphasis on education. He stressed its importance for his three daughters no less than for his two sons. Her father also found Katharine a teaching job where she earned the money needed to attend Vassar College.

As the City Correction Commissioner, she continued to implement prison reform measures. One of her first changes was the transfer of adolescent male inmates from Blackwell Island to a farm in Orange County. She halted public sightseeing tours, calling them degrading for inmates, and is perhaps best remembered for the abolition of striped prison clothing.

In addition to her responsibilities as Commissioner, Ms. Davis took an active role in the Woman Suffrage Party, and she was chosen as the Progressive candidate as a delegate-at-large to a State Constitutional Convention -- the first woman to run for statewide office in New York and before women had the right to vote.

Planning ahead to when the vote would be won, Ms. Davis and other suffrage leaders established the Women's City Club of New York, and she was among those who helped form the League of Women Voters. Ms. Davis' life and career were dedicated to serving society. Her contributions to prison reform, women's rights, and social causes are deserving of great tribute and recognition.

Text Source: Correction’s Katharine Bement Davis: New York City’s Suffragist Commissioner by Thomas C. McCarthy.