Mary Long Alderson

Mary Long Alderson (June 19, 1860 – January 7, 1940) was an American social reformer and leader active in suffrage, temperance, and women's club movements. She was also a writer. Alderson served as President of the Montana State Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU).

Early life Mary Long was born on June 19, 1860, in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, to Eliza Regan and John E. Long. Mary was raised in Boston and met prominent women such as Louisa May Alcott. Mary was educated under the “Quincy Method” in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Journalist Matt Alderson and his father published the Bozeman Avant Courier. Mary wrote for the Avant Courier, including editorial content, specifically advocating against corsets and long skirts. She also wrote on botany, temperance, and women's suffrage. In this position, she was one of the few female members of the Montana Press Association. She was also the recording secretary for the 1904 state convention of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

Alderson was an active clubwoman. She was a member WCTU, serving as president of the Montana chapter from 1913 to 1916.

In 1930, Alderson resigned from the WCTU. She continued to be an outspoken activist on issues such as child welfare, education, and labor laws. This collection includes, among other items, diaries, letters, scrapbooks, and photographs created by or pertaining to the Alderson family. A collection of Alderson's papers from 1894-1936 is held at the Montana Historical Society. This includes manuscripts for "A Half Century of Progress for Montana Women," biographical sketches on figures in Montana history, and three scrapbooks about the selection of the bitterroot as Montana's state flower.

Selected publications Alderson, Mary Long. n.d. Thirty-four years in the Montana Woman's Christian Temperance Union, 1896-1930. Alderson, Mary Long. 1924. Matt W. Alderson, 1855-1924. Alderson, Mary Long. 1902. Montana's floral emblem -- Lewisia rediviva. [U.S.]: Rocky Mountain Magazine.