Bessie Agnes Dwyer (1866 – 1944) was part of a large Texas family, the youngest of the Dwyer sisters. Her father died when she was still in her teens and she found work at a post office to support herself. She also wrote for some local papers and was active in local theater. In later years she wrote several plays. By tapping family political connections she was able to get a job in the Library of Congress, the first woman clerical worker hired there. She also earned a law degree, an early, if not the first, Texas woman to do so. In 1902 she went the Philippines, originally working as a lawyer in the Forestry division, but then moving to the library field. She was active in women’s clubs and associations, as well as politics, representing the Philippines as a delegate as the Democratic National Convention in 1920. She died in a prison camp in the Philippines during World War II. Bessie was an American pioneer in many ways but is relatively unknown today.
About the presenterJulie M. Still
Julie Still is on the faculty of the Paul Robeson Library on the Camden Campus of Rutgers University. She has spoken on a number of topics at local, regional, and international conferences, and published books and articles. Her primary interests are social history, women’s studies, and digital humanities.