Dunedin Suffragette Elizabeth Skinner To Be Honored With Trail Marker

DUNEDIN, FL — The city of Dunedin in conjunction with the GFWC North Pinellas Woman’s Club, the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and the National Collaboration of Women’s Historic Sites will host a dedication ceremony for the first marker in Florida on the National Votes for Women Trail.

A project of The National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites, the National Votes for Women Trail is collecting sites from all over the country to tell the untold story of suffrage for women of all ethnicities that extends well past the passage of the 19th amendment. \

There are currently 44 state coordinators and more than 1,000 sites on the database, which continues to grow.

The William G. Pomeroy Foundation is complementing the effort with the donation of 250 historic roadside markers.

Florida's first marker will honor Dunedin suffragette Elizabeth Skinner.

According to National Votes for Women Trail researcher Ann Pfau, Skinner was born Jan. 6, 1887, in Hillsborough County to Lee Bronson and Mary Eleanor (Bruce) Skinner. Her father was considered a pioneer citrus grower in Florida.

She grew up in Dunedin and graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She earned a degree in sociology and started her career as an educator, teaching sociology at Florida Southern College and serving as dean for women.

She was also active in the First Presbyterian Church throughout her life and involved in the Pinellas County Woman's Club, the Dunedin Woman's Club and the Dunedin Library Association.

As a state organizer for the women's suffrage effort in Florida, Skinner helped lead the way for women to vote.

Her involvement began while serving on the legislative committee of the county woman's club. This led to her vice presidency in the Florida Equal Suffrage Association.

In November 1918, Skinner spoke before the Florida Equal Suffrage Association conference in Daytona on the "Right and Power of Petition" and she presided over the Equal Suffrage Conference held in Tampa in January 1919.

In March 1919, she solicited support for the suffrage amendment in Florida, traveling throughout the state, giving lectures and speeches in support of the cause. These efforts were part of a push to put suffrage before the Florida Legislature in April 1919. Skinner went to Tallahassee to take part in the lobbying effort to convince legislators to support the federal amendment.

She returned to Dunedin and, despite the failed effort, continued to lobby on behalf of women, hosting suffrage meetings at Library Hall.

After the passage of the 19th Amendment, Skinner became involved in the League of Women Voters. She also was a member of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and the General Federation of Woman's Clubs, serving as president for the Florida GFWC.

The dedication ceremony will be held Friday, March 5 at 4 p.m. at the northeast corner of Edgewater Park near the shelter, 51 Main St.

RSVP at 727-298-3080, ext. 1702, or via email

This press release was produced by the City of Dunedin. The views expressed here are the author’s own.