Jane Yelvington McCallum
Austin, Travis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(December 30, 1877 - August 15, 1957) One of the most prominent leaders of the Texas woman suffrage movement of the early 20th century, Jane Y. McCallum lived in this house with her husband, Arthur N., and five children. As a member of the Texas Joint Legislative Council (nicknamed The Petticoat Lobby), she worked for political and social reform through the Texas Legislature. Appointed Secretary of State by Gov. Dan Moody in 1927, she was reappointed by Gov. Ross Sterling in 1931. During her term of office she discovered and had preserved an original signed copy of the Texas Declaration of Independence. (1990)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Jane Y. McCallum lived in this Austin house while helping lead the Texas woman suffrage movement in the early 20th century. As a force in the Texas Joint Legislative Council — the so-called 'Petticoat Lobby' — she pressed for political and social reform, and as Secretary of State from 1927 she famously rediscovered and preserved an original signed copy of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Why it matters
Her career shows how the fight for the vote propelled women into the machinery of state government, where they shaped policy and safeguarded the historical record itself.
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Related people
- · Jane Yelvington McCallum
- · Dan Moody
- · Ross Sterling
Themes & tags
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