Antoinette Kensel Thurgood

Antoinette Kensel Thurgood (born Antoinette Kensel, – March 31, 1915) was an American philanthropist, Christian women's community organizer, and newspaper editor. She was the founder of the Women's Conference of the Churches of Christ in Victoria, Australia.

Biography Early life Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Thurgood was the daughter of Christian Kensel and Mary Ann (Butt) Kensel. She was educated at Sayre Institute (now Sayre School) in Lexington.

Career Thurgood and her husband travelled from Kentucky to Australia in 1882, via Europe, Egypt, and Ceylon. She was also the honorary president of the Women's Conference of the Associated Churches of Christ, Victoria. Australia.

Thurgood served as associate editor of the White Ribbon Signal, Woman's Christian Temperance Union of Victoria, in Australia; and editor of the women's page of the Australian Christian in Melbourne. Thurgood served as a member of the Board of the Union Missionary Societies of Allegheny County, as representative of the Christian Church, 1907–1908; a member of the Board of Managers of the Bethesda Home, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; life member of the Christian Women's Board of Missions, Indianapolis, Indiana; life member of the American Christian Missionary Society, Cincinnati, Ohio; organizer of the Christion Women's Florida Missionary Society at Ocoee, Florida; and Pennsylvania State secretary of the Christian Women's Board of Missions for nine years.