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Lucy Thurman

1849 – 1918

Canadian American temperance activist

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About Lucy Thurman

Lived 1849 – 1918 (aged 68–69). Lucy Thurman was an American and Canadian suffragist.

Lucy Thurman (October 22, 1849 – March 29, 1918) was a national temperance lecturer from Jackson, Michigan.

Biography Lucinda "Lucy" Smith was born on October 22, 1849, in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada to Nehemiah Henry Smith and Katherine Campbell. In 1866, she left home at 17 when she met Frederick Douglass and Dr. William Wells Brown in Rochester, New York. With their help, she began teaching at a school in Maryland. She moved to Jackson, Michigan in 1869 and married Henry William Simpson. She remarried after Simpson's death to Frank Thurman in 1883. In 1898, she cofounded the Michigan Association of Colored Women's Clubs with friend Mary Eleanora McCoy and served as its first president. The new organization was under the umbrella of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs (NACWC) and was dedicated to welfare, rights, and education of black women and families. Under her leadership, she helped to establish a Temperance Department, passed resolutions and actively worked in support of anti-lynching campaigns, juvenile courts, and the National Association for the Protection of Colored Women and Girls.

Death and legacy Thurman died in Jackson, Michigan on March 29, 1918.

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Important facts

Born
1849, Oshawa
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Awards
Michigan Women's Hall of Fame
Also known as
Lucinda Thurman, Lucinda Smith

People in Lucy Thurman's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Lucy Thurman's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Lucy Thurman?

Canadian American temperance activist

When was Lucy Thurman born?

Lucy Thurman was born in 1849 in Oshawa.

When did Lucy Thurman die?

Lucy Thurman died on 29 March 1918.

What was Lucy Thurman's occupation?

Lucy Thurman was a suffragist.

What nationality was Lucy Thurman?

Lucy Thurman was American and Canadian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Lucy Thurman

· Wikidata: Q27661916

· DBpedia: Lucy Thurman

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lucy Thurman. https://biography.guide/lucy-thurman/

MLA: "Lucy Thurman." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lucy-thurman/.

Chicago: "Lucy Thurman." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lucy-thurman/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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