Ada C. Bittenbender and the Nebraska Woman Suffrage Association

Ada ColeĀ Bittenbender, a leader in the woman suffrage and temperance movements, was also one of Nebraska’s first woman lawyers and only the third woman admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court (1888). She is remembered today in Nebraska for her efforts to win legal rights for women and children.

Newspaper obituaries on microfilm at the Nebraska State Historical Society Library/Archives indicate that she was born in Pennsylvania in 1848. She attended colleges in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C., and built a teaching career before marriage to Henry ClayĀ Bittenbender, a lawyer. In 1878 theĀ BittenbendersĀ moved from the East to Osceola, Nebraska, where Henry established a legal practice and bought the Osceola Record. Ada edited the Record for several years while she read law in her husband’s office. The couple moved to Lincoln in 1882.

Ada was an active feminist and helped organize the Nebraska Woman Suffrage Association. In May 1882 she was admitted to the Nebraska bar. A law partner with her husband, she argued cases in both state and federal courts. She successfully lobbied for a ban on the sale of tobacco to children and for a bill granting married women joint and equal guardianship over their children.

She also held office in the National Woman’s Christian Temperance Union in Washington D.C. from 1887 to 1890. In 1891 she ran on the Prohibition Party ticket for Nebraska Supreme Court judge and received nearly five percent of the (male) vote.

In her later years, Ada ColeĀ BittenbenderĀ discontinued the practice of law and devoted herself to philosophical studies. She died in Lincoln in 1925.

To read more about the suffrage movement in Nebraska, readĀ ā€œStriving for Equal Rights for Allā€: Woman Suffrage in Nebraska, 1855-1882Ā byĀ KristinĀ MapelĀ Bloomberg, which appeared in the Summer 2009 issue ofĀ Nebraska History Magazine

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

American Archives Month: 9 Types of Photographs

American Archives Month: 9 Types of Photographs

Nebraska History Spotlight: Burt County Museum

Nebraska History Spotlight: Burt County Museum

Marker Monday: Republican Pawnee Village

Marker Monday: Republican Pawnee Village

AboutĀ NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director Cindy Drake. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

ļ•Ø
Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

ļ”˜
Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraskaā€™s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraskaā€™s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.