Women in History: Deborah Fisher Wharton

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A couple years ago, my sister-in-law shared with me an awesome discovery about my great-great-great grandmother, who I had never been told about before — Deborah Fisher Wharton. She was an American Quaker minister, suffragist, social reformer, proponent of women's rights, and a co-founder of Swarthmore College, one of the earliest co-educational colleges in the United States.

Deborah was a strong voice for equal education and equal treatment of women. This was a big deal for me to learn about her 40+ years into my life, since it has always been the men and the accomplishments of men that I was told about and exposed to in my family line. Let the feminine voices RISE.

Here's to Deborah for her courage and conviction to speak her mind and take a stand for women's education and the equal treatment of women. And for being a spiritual leader! And, did I mention, she was a mother of 10 children, too?

Special thank you to Nancy Biddle for this excellent investigative work and bringing to light the feminine voices in our family.

Tabby Biddle, M.S.Ed., is a leading voice and advocate for advancing women’s leadership and the human rights of women and girls. She is the author of the bestselling book, Find Your Voice: A Woman’s Call to Action, and a Leadership Ambassador with Take The Lead, a non-profit organization committed to creating gender parity in leadership across all sectors by 2025. Learn more at tabbybiddle.com.

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