Charlotte Elizabeth Battles (1864-1952)
Girard, Erie County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Born in Girard, she overcame traditional roles by graduating from college and being named president of R.S. Battles Bank after her father’s death in 1904. Battles gained national attention when she refused to close the bank after President Roosevelt ordered the Bank Holiday of 1933. A philanthropist and active in the community, she was the first woman appointed trustee of Edinboro State Normal School. This was the bank’s home until it merged in 1946.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Charlotte Elizabeth Battles broke through the narrow expectations set for women of her generation: she earned a college degree and, after her father's death in 1904, became president of the R.S. Battles Bank in Girard. She drew national notice in 1933 when she refused to shutter the bank during President Roosevelt's Bank Holiday, and she served her community as a philanthropist and as the first woman trustee of Edinboro State Normal School. This building was the bank's home until it merged in 1946.
Why it matters
Battles's career is a striking early example of a woman leading an American financial institution, decades before such roles were open to most women.
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Related people
- · Charlotte Elizabeth Battles
- · Franklin D. Roosevelt
Related events
- · Bank Holiday of 1933
Themes & tags
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